New Orleans Saints 2024 NFL draft picks: Kool-Aid McKinstry picked at No. 41
ESPN will provide pick-by-pick analysis of each of the Saints' selections as they are made.
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NEW ORLEANS -- The 2024 NFL draft (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN App) began Thursday night in Detroit and goes through Saturday. After some trades, the New Orleans Saints are scheduled to make seven of the draft's 257 picks, beginning with the No. 14 selection of the first round on Thursday night.
ESPN will provide pick-by-pick analysis of each of the Saints' selections as they are made.
A look at each of New Orleans' scheduled selections:
Analysis of every pick | Updated depth chart
Round 1, No. 14: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
My take: The Saints picked a position that has been on their radar since the end of the 2023 season, and it checks a lot of boxes for a New Orleans first-round selection. Fuaga was a team captain and two-year starter for Oregon State and played in the Senior Bowl, a game that has produced a lot of Saints players. The question is how fast can he start and where on the line he fits best. Fuaga said he's open to playing on the left side and has been training for that, even though he played right tackle in college. If the Saints move him to the left side, he'll compete with 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning. If they keep him on the right side, it could signal that the concerns about Ryan Ramczyk's knees are worse than they thought earlier in the offseason.
Key Stat: The Saints' offensive line ranked 28th in pass block win rate in 2023, according to ESPN Stats & Information, while their rushers averaged only 2.1 yards before contact (29th in the NFL). That stat highlights some of the issues the unit faced last year. New Orleans managed to settle some of its problems by removing Penning from the lineup after Derek Carr was sacked 17 times in the first six games, but between the questions about Penning and Ramczyk's health, the team needed a long-term solution at tackle.
What we're hearing about Fuaga: Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Senior Bowl, said: "He's a really nimble, big human, and he's a bully. He just gets after people ... stays after people and plays to the whistle. ... He's played on the right side, I think he can play on the left side. He can play tackle, guard, he's versatile. ... Really good athlete, and he gets it done in both phases. ... I think he's going to be a day one starter."
What's next: The Saints have a gap between the second and fifth round, so it could be quiet Day 2. They might consider adding another wideout to pair with Chris Olave, and it would make sense to keep looking at offensive line options. They also might look at cornerbacks if they try to trade Marshon Lattimore over the summer. The long-term outlook at pass-rusher could also be something to address with Cameron Jordan turning 35 and new addition Chase Young on a one-year deal.
Round 2, No. 41 (from New York Giants through Green Bay Packers): Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
My take: The Saints liked McKinstry enough to trade a fifth and sixth-round pick to move up four spots from No. 45 to No. 41. The team nabbed him in the middle of an early Day 2 run on cornerbacks. The addition of McKinstry doesn't mean it's a sure thing that the Saints deal 2017 first-round cornerback Marshon Lattimore, but it does mean that will be a potential move to watch this summer. McKinstry would join Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor and potentially Lattimore in the cornerback room, and he said he'd also like to contribute on special teams as a kick returner.
Will he be expected to get regular playing time? The playing time largely depends on Lattimore's status, but the Saints needed all hands on deck in the DB room last year due to injuries. Adebo and Taylor took most of the snaps, but the now-departed Isaac Yiadom and Lonnie Johnson Jr. also filled in. Saints coach Dennis Allen said the team can never have enough good cornerbacks, and it's likely they would find a role for McKinstry in some capacity right away.
What's next: The Saints have five picks left on Day 3 (three fifth-round picks, one sixth-round pick and one seventh-round pick). Wide receiver still remains a top need, and the Saints will likely look into adding more depth on the offensive and defensive lines, particularly at pass-rusher, where the long-term outlook is in question. The Saints also need late-round safety depth with former starter Marcus Maye now gone.
Round 5: No. 150
Round 5: No. 170 (compensatory selection)
Round 5: No. 175 (compensatory selection)
Round 6: No. 199 (from Philadelphia Eagles)
Round 7: No. 239 (from Los Angeles Rams through Denver)
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