Adding Safety On Day 3 Of the NFL Draft Very Likely For The Saints

Day 3 feels like the right time for the Saints to look to add to their safety group, but free agency could also be a high possibility.

One day separates us from the NFL Draft, and we'll soon know what the plan is for the Saints when they pick at No. 14 on Thursday night. It's been a long time coming across the league, and after some insight from GM Mickey Loomis on Wednesday, we have a slightly better sense of what New Orleans could do in the draft.

Our Saints draft outlook series is nearing its end, as we wrap up our defensive look for the team by looking at the back end. The safety group is a little intriguing for the team, but would they fill the needs in the draft or elsewhere?

Previous Entries: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Offensive Line | Edge Rusher | Defensive Tackle | Linebacker | Cornerback

Current Depth Chart: Tyrann Mathieu, Jordan Howden, Johnathan Abram, J.T. Gray, Ugo Amadi

Saints Draft Prospect Outlook - Safety

• Day 1 Options: Cooper Dejean (Iowa)
• Day 2 Options: Jaden Hicks (Washington), Javon Bullard (Georgia), Tykee Smith (Georgia), Kamren Kinchens (Miami), Cole Bishop (Utah), Tyler Nubin (Minnesota)
• Day 3 Options: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (Texas Tech), Kris Abrams-Draine (Mizzou), Calen Bullock (USC), Beau Brade (Maryland), Dominique Hampton (Washington), Malik Mustapha (Wake Forest), Jaylin Simpson (Auburn), Cam Allen (Purdue), Kitan Oladapo (Oregon State), Sione Vaki (Utah), Millard Bradford (TCU), Akeem Dent (Florida State), Omar Brown (Nebraska), Andre Sam (LSU), Trey Taylor (Air Force), Myles Harden (South Dakota State)
• UDFAs: Demani Richardson (TAMU), Patrick McMorris (Cal), Rashad Wisdom (UTSA), Jaylen Key (Alabama), PJ Jules (Southern Illinois), Joshua Heyward (Benedict), Jordan Colbert (Rhode Island), John Huggins (Jackson State), Jordan Toles (Morgan State), Mikey Victor (Alabama State)

THE CASE FOR DRAFTING

The Saints let Marcus Maye go in the offseason, which was hardly a surprise given his availability over the first two years with the team. New Orleans didn't shell out the money to retain Lonnie Johnson Jr., who went back home to the Texans. They were able to rework a contract with Tyrann Mathieu that puts him with the Saints for the next two years, also re-signing Johnathan Abram and Ugo Amadi along the way.

This draft doesn't feature a ton of top-end prospects, and the group itself will see a lot of movement on Day 3. There is also a lack of ball-hawking type safeties compared to previous drafts, but again, the amount of picks the team has to make currently in Rounds 5-7 could absolutely see a safety brought in. That's the earliest that they would add to the room, as it isn't likely they trade into Rounds 3-4 to grab one. One thing to keep in mind is how the new kickoff rule might change things up on how teams prioritize positions differently.

There were a couple of safeties we liked when we did our live mock draft, specifically Wake Forest's Malik Mustapha and Oregon State's Kitan Oladapo, and we also flirted with the possibility of bringing Tyler Nubin in, who was Howden's teammate at Minnesota.

THE CASE FOR NOT DRAFTING

The Saints are expecting a major leap from Jordan Howden this season, and that's not unrealistic. The coaches love what he brings to the table and thinks he can be a star. Howden is extremely coachable and learns very quickly. Johnathan Abram showed a lot of promise late in the season, so it's not out of the question to believe that he'll challenge for a more prominent or starting role.

Something Mickey Loomis mentioned on Wednesday was that the team expects to be players in free agency after the draft, and that there are a lot of good players that are available. The reason to wait is fairly straightforward, to avoid the compensatory pick process. Some players also wait to see how things shake out in the draft, but teams are already interested and have had talks. Among those to keep an eye on would obviously include Justin Simmons, Jamal Adams, Eddie Jackson and Quandre Diggs, to name a few. There is a pool of talent, albeit older, but an area where the team could take a one-year flier on.

Like the corner position, the Saints are going to add to the room in some form or fashion. It's a group that is always plentiful going into training camp, and New Orleans could address it in a variety of ways. Joe Woods and Marcus Robertson enter their second season with the team, and Robertson in particular is very underrated in what he brings to the table. Whoever does get added to the room will greatly benefit from their coaching, and this should be another strength for the Saints roster.