Saints Draft Jordan Howden at 146th Overall
The Saints were back up on the clock in Round 5 after making some trades. They used Pick No. 146 to take Minnesota safety Jordan Howden. They will have only one more scheduled draft pick to make the rest of the way.
QUICK THOUGHTS: Safety was a need for the Saints, as the team lost Justin Evans to the Eagles, and Daniel Sorensen and P.J. Williams are unsigned free agents. Overall, the group of safeties in this draft wasn't particularly strong. Howden does have some strong traits from his time as a free safety for the Gophers, but needs to adapt to some coaching to help with tackling. He was an East-West Shrine Bowl player, and an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. Where the Saints envision him will be something to keep an eye on, but he does have some versatility to him. Let's also not forget that Marcus Maye and Tyrann Mathieu are also getting a little bit older.
Draft Profile Notes (from NFL.com)
Howden is a football-savvy free safety with good instincts and play recognition but a lack of acceleration, which could create a plethora of problems for him on the pro level. He’s quick to diagnose the run, but will need to improve his tackle technique. A lack of recovery juice could get him mismatched on the pro game, but he sees route combinations well when allowed to play as a two-deep safety. Howden has played a lot of football and can help on special teams but needs to prove himself as a tester at the NFL Scouting Combine.
KEY NEEDS: WR, LB
Remaining Saints Picks
- Round 7, No. 257 (compensatory)
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