New Orleans Saints 2023 NFL Draft Profile

New Orleans Saints 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Time Stamp: April 24, 2023 7:44 PM

The 2023 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 27 as the first round picks are announced. The second and third rounds take place on Friday, and the whole thing wraps up with the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday. TGH will be taking a quick look at the first few picks for some teams, and shedding some light on what direction they will go. Here is the New Orleans Saints NFL Draft profile for 2023.

Team Needs

Given that the Saints keep pushing big contracts down the road and continue to pry open their window of contention, young and cheap players are needed everywhere. Trading for even more picks could be a big part of their strategy here. As-is, though New Orleans needs both defensive and offensive line help, specially in the interior.

First Round

Pick #29: Mazi Smith, DL, Michigan

Calijah Kancey and Myles Murphy should be on the Saints’ radar here, but Mazi Smith comes from a great program and may need the least coaching up out of all three of those names. On the defensive line these days, teams are looking for the size and athletic ability combo, which Smith possesses.

Already an extremely stout run defender, Smith needs to get better on true passing down situations. He may not reach that threshold in his first season, but the potential is certainly there. He’s extremely quick with good footwork for someone his size, also. There are different, splashier moves to be made here, for sure. But Smith is mocked to New Orleans in plenty of drafts for a reason.

Second Round

Pick #40: Steve Avila, OG, TCU

Avila was a captain on a team that made a surprise run to the College Football Playoff National Championship, which already makes him sound like a New Orleans Saints-type pick for the interior of the offensive line.

In college, Avila also started at Center, even though he’s definitely seen as a guard in this draft. That comes in handy in a 17-game season where offensive linemen can drop like flies. There aren’t many holes in his game, to be honest. His pass protection needs a bit of polishing, but given that he’ll be available in the second round, Avila is maybe even better than the Saints could ask for.

Third Round

Pick #71: Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame

Foskey has appeared on these NFL Draft Profiles before, always in the third round. That’s because waiting for an edge rusher until the third round really depletes options given the premium placed on pass rushing in today’s NFL.

There’s a surprising explosiveness to Foskey’s play, which only serves to extend natural pass rush abilities even more. Defending the run is not his strong suit, and he needs to show that he can overtake NFL-caliber talent. But, for the value, this is a solid pickup to help New Orleans’ defensive line.

Stay tuned for more breaking NFL content, including midseason moves, contract updates and more news from every team.

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