Saints Mock Draft: Elite Safety, Edge Rusher, WR

0:00It's April 20th. This is NFL News Today, football coverage powered by AI. Everybody knows the buzz around the New Orleans Saints, grabbing a wide receiver at the eighth overall pick to boost their offense. But in this latest seven-round mock draft from NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter, they flipped the script and snagged the top safety in the class, Caleb Downes, from Ohio State. Downs ain't the quickest on tape, but his smarts and instincts make him a lockdown defender, kind of like how Kyle Hamilton fell to 14th and 20. 22 before blowing up as an all pro, Reuter says teams shouldn't sleep on that brain power just because he lacks top end speed. Saints fans might be scratching their heads since offense feels like the priority, but their defense could use that elite safety to shore up the back. And especially with holes to fill across the board. Later rounds bring more help. At 42, they take Texas A&M edge rusher, Cassius Howe, though his short arms and one trade pass rush raise some.

1:01Flags. Then at 73, Yukon Whiteout Scholar Bell slides in, a speedy inside-out-side threat compared to Michael Gallup with room to grow on drops. And rounding out the early picks at 150, Oregon linebacker Bryce Boacher steps up as a potential replacement for Demario Davis, bringing that gritty motor and special teams fire to keep the unit humming strong.