The New Orleans Saints had yet another season end with playoff disappointment this past year. The Minnesota Vikings came to town in the wild card round of the playoffs and delivered an upset win. The Saints did not have anyone to blame but themselves this time, as the Vikings’ defense simply shut down the New Orleans attack, while Kirk Cousins was able to deliver enough big strikes for the Vikings to win. Drew Brees has returned for another season but seems like he has a foot already out the door, having signed a deal with NBC Sports to go to the broadcast booth once his playing days are over. The team has added Jameis Winston to go along with Taysom Hill in rounding out the quarterback depth chart. The Saints have solid odds to win Super Bowl LV after the 2020 draft, at 12/1. Let’s take a look at their choices and updated NFL Odds.
NFL Betting: New Orleans Saints 2020 Super Bowl Odds & Analysis After the Draft
The Saints drafted a center in the first round
You can’t say that coach Sean Payton isn’t focused. The Saints needed help in the middle of their offensive line, and Cesar Ruiz of Michigan provides that help. Erik McCoy played center last year as a rookie and was terrific, and Ruiz could either take McCoy’s place as McCoy slides to right guard or moves to right guard himself. Larry Warford is the starting right guard — and made the Pro Bowl last year — but Payton is looking to push Warford and make the whole unit better.
The Saints have gone high with offensive linemen before; in 2017, they picked Ryan Ramczyk, and he has become one of the top right tackles in the league. Ruiz went 449 pass-block reps in 2019 and did permit a single sack. Payton said that he would be prioritizing football intelligence in his draft picks this year since the likelihood of rookie minicamp, veteran minicamp and OTAs will not likely take place, and Ruiz called the blocking schemes for Michigan’s offensive line this year.
Zack Baun fills a big need at linebacker
Not only did Zack Baun solve a problem for the Saints, but he was also arguably the best player left on the board. He had 12.5 sacks in 2019 at Wisconsin, so he can serve as an edge rusher or drop back into pass coverage. As far as size, he is in between an NFL edge rusher and an outside linebacker, but having a hybrid player could turn into real value for the Saints.
Adam Trautman needs to deliver
This tight end from Dayton prompted the Saints to swap four day-3 draft picks to move up enough to take him. Trautman caught 70 balls for 916 yards and 14 scores in his senior season. He was a first-team FCS All-American, and a lot of the scouts at the Senior Bowl really liked what they saw. Payton envisions Trautman playing as an in-line tight end, and even though he comes from an FCS school, the film shows elite blocking ability. He could start contributing immediately in sets with multiple tight ends that also feature veterans Josh Hill and Jared Cook, and Cook is 33, which means that Trautman could be groomed to take Cook’s spot in a couple seasons.
Tommy Stevens could be the next Taysom Hill
Hill doesn’t just play quarterback for the Saints — he also carries the ball, runs routes, punts at times, and takes on a lot of other special teams roles, and Stevens gets a lot of comparison to him. Stevens was beset by injuries his senior season at Mississippi State, throwing for just 1,155 yards, 11 scores and five picks, and running for just 381 yards and four scores. The Saints also asked to see film of him running routes, and he came to pro day ready to show what he could do at tight end. Another versatile player could give the Saints just one more X factor.
