NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Round 1 (No. 14 overall) — Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State: A right tackle for the Beavers, Fuaga is excellent in pass protection and especially nasty as a run blocker. He becomes the first Round 1 O-lineman in Oregon State’s history and can probably play anywhere up front aside from center. And there’s certainly a need in the Big Easy given the performance, or lack thereof, thus far by former first-round LT Trevor Penning plus the knee issues and cost associated with RT Ryan Ramczyk.
Round 2 (41, from Jets through Packers) — Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama: A two-time All-SEC selection who went through his pro day paces on a broken foot – running a sub-4.5 40 in the process – he’s got first-round ability and, certainly, toughness. Doesn’t turn the ball over much with just two INTs in three seasons for Bama. Over three seasons, he surrendered three TD passes.
Round 5 (150) — Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina: Rattler’s a tough read. He transferred from Oklahoma to South Carolina and played well despite having one of the least consistent offensive line groups in the conference. His athleticism and arm talent make up for his lessthan-ideal size. He could develop into a long-term starter to succeed Derek Carr.
Round 5 (170, compensatory selection) — Bub Means, WR, Pittsburgh: His rare hand size, wingspan, and vertical jump give him an incredible catch radius. But his lack of route running will limit his immediate impact.
Round 5 (175, compensatory selection) — Jaylan Ford, LB, Texas: Ford may struggle in coverage against better athletes but he knows how to operate in zone coverage over the middle.
Round 6 (199, from Eagles) — Khristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa: Boyd is an impact performer against the run and uses his size to take up space on the interior. He has flashes of pass rush potential but needs to improve that to become a long-term contributor. He could provide lots of upside down the road.
Round 7 (239, from Rams through Broncos) — Josiah Ezirim, OT, Eastern Kentucky: Ezirim’s new to the position after starting out as a defensive lineman in college. That aggression from his prior position translates in run blocking.