Saints Predicted To Make Blockbuster Trade With Chiefs, Address Offensive Line

Should New Orleans try to get a second first-round pick this year?

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; A detail view of Kansas City Chiefs helmets before Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints still have a lot of needs after free agency, and fortunately, every year is a new opportunity to hit on some top draft picks.

One area the Saints definitely have to improve is the offensive line, as they ranked 29th in pass-blocking win rate in 2024, according to ESPN. Their depth chart is thin across the board, particularly behind reliable starter Cesar Ruiz at the guard position.

The Saints hold the number-nine pick in the first round, which might be a bit high to target a guard in this year's draft class. With so many other roster needs (see: the entire defensive front), New Orleans might have to wait until later in the draft to go after the guard prospects.

Should the Saints take a risk by mortgaging two later picks to move back into the first round? That's what one NFL writer recently predicted they would do.

On Wednesday, CBS Chris Trapasso had the Saints trading with the Kansas City Chiefs to move back up to the end of the first round, where they hypothetically selected North Dakota State offensive line prospect Grey Zabel, who could wind up playing either guard or tackle in the NFL.

"Chiefs GM Brett Veach obtains No. 40 (second round) and No. 71 (third round) from New Orleans in this deal," Trapasso wrote.

Zabel, 22, is a 6-foot-6, 305-pounder with excellent athleticism. He was a two-time national champion in his four-year career at NDSU, and was named a first-team FCS All-American following the 2024 campaign, allowing just one sack all season.

Many evaluators seem to think Zabel projects as an NFL guard, and he could be a very good one when all is said and done. And that is what the Saints would be banking on if they mortgaged two picks to the Chiefs for the chance to select him.

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