Available Defensive Targets On Day 3 Of NFL Draft For New Orleans Saints

As the NFL Draft enters it's final day, here are some of the top defensive prospects still available

Credit:© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NFL Draft wraps up this afternoon with Rounds 4, 5, 6, and 7. Currently, the New Orleans Saints have five remaining selections. New Orleans has three picks in the fifth round (numbers 150, 170, and 175 overall), one in the sixth (199), and one in the seventh (239).

Barring a trade, the Saints would not have drafted a player since the second round at the 41st overall pick. New Orleans selected Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry with that choice. Prior to that, the Saints had picked Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga in the first round on Thursday night at number 14 overall.

The Saints have had a lot of home run selections in the later rounds of the draft throughout even recent history. Here are some of the best available players still remaining.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Miami Hurricanes defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III (56) pressures the quarterback against the Virginia Tech Hokies / Credit:© Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

• Khristian Boyd, Northern Iowa
• Leonard Taylor III, Miami (Fl)
• Gabe Hall, Baylor
• Jordan Jefferson, LSU
• Mekhi Wingo, LSU

Boyd is a mammoth inside presence (6'2", 328-Lbs) who can excel at nose tackle with enough pass rush upside for a 3-technique role. He's nearly immovable against the run, routinely collapses pass pockets, and combines formidable strength with impressive explosion at the snap.

Taylor is coming off a disappointing year, but has outstanding agility for an interior player. He has good upper body power against the run and disruptive moves as a pass rusher. With nice quickness at the snap, he has the capability of creating chaos.

Hall has rare agility and athleticism for an interior defender. He works down the line with nimble quickness and shows exciting disruptive upside as a pass rusher. He's raw and has yet to play up to his physical capabilities, but has the ceiling to make teams regret passing on him.

DEFENSIVE END/EDGE

Mississippi Rebels defensive end Cedric Johnson (2) / Credit:© Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

• Cedric Johnson, Mississippi
• Brandon Dorlus, Oregon

Johnson is a little lighter than the Saints preferred prototype at end (6'3", 260-Lbs), but possesses excellent strength and good closing speed. His power gives him upside as a bull rusher, while he could be an immediate contributor as a run defender.

Dorlus is a tweener with the size of a smaller DT or bigger DE. He has nice lateral quickness and can be disruptive on stunts or twists. Dorlus has the potential to be an inside pass rush specialist with the upside of an every down defender in a four-man front with improved run defense.

LINEBACKER

North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Cedric Gray (33) during the 2024 Senior Bowl / Credit:© Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

• Cedric Gray, North Carolina
• Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
• Jaylan Ford, Texas
• Jordan Magee, Temple
• Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
• Curtis Jacobs, Penn State
• Jackson Sirmon, California
• Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington

A three-year starter, Gray has excellent range and closing speed to the ball. He's athletic in coverage with decent instincts and shows outstanding sideline-to-sideline pursuit as a run defender. With improved anticipation, he could be a steal at either weakside LB or in the middle.

Son of former Eagles four-time Pro Bowl LB Jeremiah Trotter, the junior Trotter was a very productive in-the-box defender at Clemson. He has potentially elite instincts and play diagnosis. In coverage, he has nice agility and ball skills. Against the run, he's rarely out of position and closes effectively on plays in front of him.

Magee shows decisive gap recognition and impressive aggression against the run. Best on the attack, he's a disruptive blitzer with potential upside as a zone defender in coverage.

SAFETY

Washington State Cougars defensive back Jaden Hicks (25) breaks up a pass against the Fresno State Bulldogs / Credit:© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

• Jaden Hicks, Washington State
• Beau Brade, Maryland
• Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech
• Mark Perry, TCU
• Sione Vaki, Utah
• Evan Williams, Oregon
• James Williams, Miami (Fl)
• Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest

Hicks has prototype size for a safety with strong instincts and anticipation. His range isn't ideal as a single-high safety, but he can cover the slot, tracks the ball extremely well, and is aggressive in run support.

Brade may lack the range for a single-high safety role. However, he has outstanding vision and awareness along with a strong close to the ball. He's versatile enough to be effective in the slot, has the ball skills to be a factor in two-high safety alignments, and has good run support skills.

Perry is an explosive downhill attacker that's very effective against the run. He lacks the athleticism for man coverage and range to play single-high safety. However, his awareness will make him an asset in off-ball or zone coverages.

CORNERBACK

Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Kalen King (4) intercepts a pass against the Utah Utes during the 2023 Rose Bowl / Credit:© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

• Kalen King, Penn State
• Josh Newton, TCU
• Chau Smith-Wade, Washington State
• Tarheeb Still, Maryland

Coming into 2023, King was viewed as a potential first or second round pick. Even after a down year, King has man capabilities and off-ball ability that would rapidly improve with good coaching.

The Saints drafted Kool-Aid McKinstry and already Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, and Alontae Taylor already on the roster. Newton, Smith-Wade, or Still could be viewed as a slot possibility with developmental upside.

Saints Draft Coverage (Video)

• Saints Draft Recap, Day 1 - Taliese Fuaga A Strong Fit
• Dennis Allen Post-Draft Press Conference, Day 1 - April 26, 2024
• What The Saints Are Getting With Taliese Fuaga, Insight From Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy
• Taliese Fuaga's First Saints Interview After Being Picked 14th Overall
• The Bayou Blitz - Live Draft Show
• Saints Draft Preview and Live Mock Draft
• Mickey Loomis Pre-Draft Press Conference
• In The Driver's Seat For A Saints Two-Round Mock
• What Positions Do The Saints Need To Prioritize In The Draft?
• How Should The Saints Approach The 2024 Draft?