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Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Kellen Moore just wants good players.
Sure, the New Orleans Saints coach is like all coaches that way. But speaking at the NFL owners’ meetings earlier this month, Moore said he’ll fit his scheme around his personnel — something his track record backs up. The simple philosophy puts the Saints on a fascinating path ahead of Moore’s first NFL draft as a head coach.
The Saints have plenty of needs — and it feels like they could go anywhere with the ninth overall pick. So naturally, with New Orleans picking at No. 9, let’s take a look at nine players who could realistically be the team’s first-round choice.
Tyler Warren, Penn State tight end Warren, a versatile, athletic tight end, would allow Moore to expand his offensive creativity even further. At Penn State, Warren lined up all over the field, and he delivered with 104 receptions for 1,233 yards in 2024. He was named the nation’s top tight end last fall and excels in both the run and the pass.
The Saints re-signed Juwan Johnson to a three-year, $30.5 million deal this offseason, but that contract shouldn’t prevent the Saints from taking Warren if he’s their guy. If anything, adding another dynamic tight end to the fold would increase the flexibility Moore would have at his disposal when trying to deploy New Orleans’ playmakers.
Jalon Walker, Georgia edge rusher If he’s still available at No. 9, Walker’s a great test case about whether the Saints are truly open to the idea of drafting a pass rusher who doesn’t fit their preferred prototype. Walker is only 6-foot-1 and 243 pounds.
But The NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said the Saints should sprint to the podium to draft Walker if he’s there, and it’s easy to see why. The 21-year-old is versatile, crafty and can be a tone-setter for the new culture that Moore is trying to establish. He can be used as an off-ball linebacker or off the edge, and while that lack of one defined role might have been frowned upon in the past, it sure hasn’t stopped Dallas’ Micah Parsons from dominating in the NFL.
Walker hasn’t received quite the Parsons comparisons — that would be Penn State’s Abdul Carter — but he’s still regarded as one of this year’s top defenders. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado quarterback Even before Derek Carr's shoulder injury, no player has been seemingly more connected to the Saints in recent weeks than Sanders — whom oddsmakers now have listed as the favorite to land in New Orleans. But are the Saints actually interested? We know that Moore and his staff have done a lot of homework on this year’s class of signal-callers, and then there's Carr's mysterious future.
Sanders, with his excellent touch and accuracy, could be a strong fit for Moore’s tempo-based offense. But the Saints have other needs on the roster, and for what it’s worth, the team didn’t send as heavy a contingent to Colorado’s pro day as it did with some of the other quarterbacks in this draft. That may mean nothing in the long run, but let’s note it for now.
Will Campbell, LSU offensive tackle Campbell said at LSU’s Pro Day that only two teams have told him that they view him more as a guard than a tackle. He wasn’t asked if the Saints were one of the clubs, but his selection would present a fascinating dilemma for New Orleans. If Campbell is selected, New Orleans could either play Campbell at left guard and keep starters Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning at left and right tackle.
Or the team could have Campbell be its left tackle, move Fuaga back to right — his college position — and experiment with Penning on the inside. Or Campbell could perhaps take over for Penning at right tackle, and the 2022 first-rounder could revert to a backup role. Either way, Campbell is regarded as the best offensive lineman in the draft.
He plays with a mean streak and has the athleticism to match. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona wide receiver Moore said ideally, the Saints would have a receiving corps similar to a basketball team — athletes of all different shapes and sizes. McMillian would certainly bring the size.
At 6-foot-4, the Arizona standout would be the Saints’ tallest receiver. And he’s a dominant wideout — he had 23 touchdowns over the last three seasons — who can haul in contested catches. There have been reported concerns about McMillian’s work ethic — there were viral clips of him admitting he didn’t watch film on his own — but his talent may be too hard to pass up.
And he would be a great asset for a receiving core that’s been hit hard by a ton of injuries. Mason Graham, Michigan defensive tackle Graham likely won’t be on the board when the Saints pick at No. 9.
It would be shocking if he were. But play any mock draft simulator — yes, those exist — and there are scenarios where he is. And in that case, it would be a home run selection.
Despite the lack of sack production, Graham is a three-down defensive tackle who dominates the trenches and would go a long way at filling one of the Saints' biggest weaknesses (run defense). Ashton Jeanty, Boise State running back Like Graham, Jeanty will probably be gone when the Saints are on the clock. But if he’s there, man, he’d be an awesome fit.
Moore has already shown what he can do with an electric running back, dating back to his work last year with Saquon Barkley in Philadelphia. And Jeanty may be the most hyped running back prospect since the Eagles star. At No.
9, though, Jeanty’s selection could still be debatable. The Saints have plenty of other needs and a star running back in Alvin Kamara. Would it be wise to take a running back that high? Then again, it might be worth landing a top-tier talent and figuring out the rest later.
Will Johnson, Michigan cornerback Cornerback is one of the Saints’ top needs, and Johnson is regarded by draft analysts as the No. 1 corner in the draft. New Orleans, of course, has a hole at the position after trading Marshon Lattimore last season and losing Paulson Adebo in free agency.
Johnson, at 6-2, is a big, smooth corner who could excel in defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s scheme. Johnson is coming off a turf toe injury but is reportedly healthy now. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss quarterback Let’s get wacky.
And to be clear, Dart’s selection at No. 9 would be just that. But after Michael Penix Jr.
’s stunning selection by the Atlanta Falcons last year, can anything be ruled out? With hindsight, Penix actually looked like the right choice for Atlanta. Maybe Dart, who can air it out, can be that for the Saints. That said, this year’s quarterback class isn’t as highly touted as last year.
And with Dart often ranked behind Cam Ward and Sanders, would it really be wise to use the ninth pick on someone that the Saints might be able to grab in Round 2 — or at least draft after trading back into Round 1 later? Probably not. Still, stranger things have happened..
