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Saints big board: Top 50 players for New Orleans in 2022 NFL draft

Dylan Sanders
·6 min read

The 2022 NFL draft is fast approaching, which is a good and bad thing for me. Obviously, it is an intriguing time as a fan of football. Who doesn’t want to know who the next player for the New Orleans Saints will be? However, it means that my favorite time of the year is also coming to an end.

During my free time, I love to sit down and watch tape of way too many draft prospects and formulate opinions on them. Around this time of year, I put all of that together and make my own big board. It’s something that happens in every NFL war room ahead of draft day.

So here is the start of that, for now. Here are the top 50 prospects of the draft, ranked, according to me:

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1. OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State

2. EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan

3. EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon

4. OT Evan Neal, Alabama

5. EDGE Travon Walker, Georgia

I think we need to stop overthinking Thibodeaux. He is going to be very good. There’s always a player who is obviously very talented, but people start to worry about. Hutchinson has the slight edge (no pun intended) over him, because he has an extremely high floor. The ceilings for Thibodeaux and Walker are through the roof though. Walker’s tape caused the loudest “wow” moment from me this year, the sky isn’t even the limit for a player like him.

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

6. S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame

7. CB Derek Stingley, LSU

8. IOL Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa

9. CB Sauce Gardner, Cincinnati

10. WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State

Kyle Hamilton is another player to stop overthinking. Talent-wise, Derek Stingley has a case to be number one, but there are some injury and effort concerns over the last two years of his LSU career. Garrett Wilson is the safest wide receiver in the draft. Reminds me of Stefon Diggs, less physical but insanely creative off the snap. He will consistently get open.

AP Photo/John Amis

11. OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State

12. EDGE Jermaine Johnson, Florida State

13. LB Devin Lloyd, Utah

14. WR Jameson Williams, Alabama

15. DL Devonte Wyatt, Georgia

Cross is a perfect tackle for the New Orleans Saints, and will lock down the spot for some NFL team for the next ten years. Lloyd isn’t necessarily a need, but I absolutely love his game. Williams is super exciting, would be great to pair with Michael Thomas.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

16. WR Chris Olave, Ohio State

17. S Jaquan Brisker, Penn State

18. DL Jordan Davis, Georgia

19. OT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa

20. IOL Kenyon Green, Texas A&M

I still think Chris Olave is the perfect fit at wide receiver for what the New Orleans Saints need across from Michael Thomas. Jaquan Brisker translates well to a Malcolm Jenkins-type role at safety at the next level. He brings great effort on every play and would be a great leader eventually during his career. Penning was so much fun to watch at the Senior Bowl. He was a bully in the best way possible. He has an old school mentality with new school athleticism.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

21. WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State

22. EDGE David Ojabo, Michigan

23. WR Drake London, USC

24. LB Nakobe Dean, Georgia

25. CB Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson

Dotson and London are polar opposites in terms of size and speed, but both have great hands who get up to catch balls. They each have their claim to fame and should both succeed at the next level. I think Dotson would compliment the Saints offense more, however.

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26. CB Trent McDuffie, Washington

27. QB Malik Willis, Liberty

28. S Daxton Hill, Michigan

29. CB Kyler Gordon, Washinton

30. DL DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M

All signs point to the Saints not being in the quarterback hunt in the draft, but if they do, the best option is easily Willis because of his upside. Dax Hill would be an interesting round two selection, but his stock has been on the decline for me for a while. While there are safeties that I believe offer more versatility, I think he offers a lot as a true free safety which is what this draft class does not offer a lot of.

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31. S Lewis Cine, Georgia

32. QB Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati

33. OL Zion Johnson, Boston College

34. RB Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State

35. EDGE George Karlaftis, Purdue

Cine is the most violent safety in this class without a doubt. He offers the least in ball skills out of the top safeties in this class, however, which could cause some pause. Ridder unsurprisingly has crushed the pre-draft season, everyone expected NFL teams and coaches to fall in love with him. He is without a doubt the quarterback I have watched the most of in this class, and I always leave with a different impression though. Ultimately, I am a fan of his game and would be open to the Saints taking him if available in the second round.

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36. WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas

37. EDGE Cameron Thomas, San Diego State

38. RB Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M

39. OT Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan

40. QB Sam Howell, North Carolina

Burks scares me mainly because of route running and inconsistent effort. Outside of that though, there is a lot to like. His size and athleticism combo is hard to pass up when you combine that with his YAC ability and great hands. Howell is another round two quarterback that intrigues me, as I think his ceiling is near Malik Willis.

AP Photo/Jerry Larson, File

41. S Jalen Pitre, Baylor

42. DL Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma

43. CB Kaiir Elam, Florida

44. WR Chrisitan Watson, North Dakota

45. IOL Sean Rhyan, UCLA

Pitre is a great consolation prize at safety if the Saints want Brisker, but can’t walk away with him. He compares himself to Tyrann Mathieu, and I definitely see it. He does a bit of everything. I am a Christian Watson skeptic, but can’t drop him too low because of what he offers if he works out. I am wary on buying into these big, fast wideouts who have low production and bad hands.

AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

46. WR David Bell, Purdue

47. QB Matt Corral, Mississippi

48. WR Skyy Moore, Western Michigan

49. LB Christian Harris, Alabama

50. OL Tyler Smith, Tulsa

Bell is a player that I feel like is going to have a very long NFL career, but the pre-draft process has confirmed his lack of even decent athleticism at the positon. I think of him as a Jarvis Landry-type though, who will certainly be dependable. Smith is an intriguing offensive lineman that is the most realistic option for the Saints in round two. He is big and strong and puts in a ton of effort on every play. Should his game get refined by a good coach and add a bit more technique to his play, he could be the best tackle in the NFL one day.

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