NFL Mock Trade: Saints Swing Draft Day Blockbuster With Rams

The New Orleans Saints are in a very intriguing spot this year. They have a potential franchise quarterback in Tyler Shough, but they're still in the early stages of the rebuild. The roster isn't ready for a playoff push yet, but they need to make the right moves to put the team in a position to take a few steps forward next season.

With the NFL draft coming up, the Saints will have a lot of big decisions to make.

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Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport recently put together a blockbuster draft day mock trade that would send the Saints No. 8 pick in the first round to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for the Rams first round pick and third round pick this year as well as their first-round pick next year.

A trade down could fit the Saints perfectly this year

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"But with MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford not getting any younger, that window isn't going to stay open forever," Davenport wrote. "And that could spur Rams general manager Les Snead (who has never been reluctant to live in the now) to get aggressive on draft day and try to move into the top 10—while keeping a second pick in the top 15. Such a trade could allow the Rams to essentially have their choice of any of the draft's prospects at cornerback such as LSU's Mansoor Delane (arguably the team's biggest need).

"They could add an immediate upgrade on the offensive line in Miami's Francisco Mauigoa, or get better at linebacker with Ohio State's Sonny Styles. Caleb Downs could also be in play. Two impact players added to an already formidable roster. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough showed some flashes for the Saints a year ago, but New Orleans remains closer to the start of a rebuild than the end."

This would seemingly be a no-brainer for the Saints unless they're deadlocked on Carnell Tate or Jeremiyah Love at pick No. 8 and one of them falls to the selection. If that's the case, it's hard to imagine New Orleans passing on a player they desperately want to move down the board, even if the value is more than fair.

Still, the trade offer proposed by Davenport would work well for the Saints. They could still land a talented player late in the first round while adding an addition first rounder next year and a third rounder this year. Filling the roster out with three draft picks instead of one pick would push the Saints in the right direction.