The New Orleans’ Saints trade with the Philadelphia Eagles leading up to this year’s NFL Draft changes the landscape big time in the Bayou.
At the cost of a future first and second-round pick, the Saints now have two Day 1 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. They come in at 16th and 19th overall.
Led by general manager Mickey Loomis and new head coach Dennis Allen, this gives New Orleans a ton of avenues to pursue — both ahead of the annual event and during the three-day draft in Las Vegas. Below, we look at three trades the team could still mke after the blockbuster with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Related: New Orleans Saints trade with the Philadelphia Eagles broken down
New Orleans Saints trade for Grady Jarrett
It’s not too often that two division rivals make a trade. However, the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots did just that a few days back. Could New Orleans and Atlanta follow suit?
It makes sense for both sides. The Falcons are actively shopping Jarett as they initiate a long-term rebuild following the trade of franchise quarterback Matt Ryan. No matter how good he is, Jarrett will be entering his Age-29 season and does not fit into Atlanta’s long-term plans.
- Grady Jarrett stats (2017-21): 78 QB hits, 46 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks
Imagine this type of presence on the inside with the likes of Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport doing their thing out on the edges. Jarrett would come with a $16.5 million cap hit, but it’s something the Saints can work through on an extension. After all, they have the second-most cap room in the NFL right now. Perhaps, sending a third to Atlanta can get this done.
Related: Full seven round New Orleans Saints mock draft after blockbuster trade
New Orleans Saints trade out of the second round
By virtue of adding an additional first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, New Orleans also moved its first rounder in 2023 and second-round selection in 2024 to the Eagles. As innovative as any general manager in the NFL, Loomis will now look to potentially collect future draft capital.
Selecting 49th overall on Day 2, there’s a decent chance that the Saints will simply look to flip that pick for a mid-round selection later in 2022 and a future second-round pick. It almost makes too much sense at this point.
Related: Sportsnaut ranks the top prospects of the 2022 NFL Draft
New Orleans Saints trade up for Malik Willis
It stands to reason that New Orleans moved off a future first and second in order to add a quarterback of the future to the mix. That’s a lot to give up for a player at another position. Hence, why QB is a target here.
At this point in the process, New Orleans has to be thinking about one or two quarterbacks in a relatively weak class. Unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely that someone like Malik Willis will be available in the middle of the first round.
Instead, the Saints use both of their first-round picks to guarantee themselves a shot at Willis. This specific trade likely wouldn’t go down until Round 1 of the draft. But moving up to the fifth pick with the New York Giants to land the Liberty product could work out.
This would be akin to the Saints trading two first-round picks, a second-round selection and change to net Willis. It’s less than what the San Francisco 49ers paid for Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft. Just some food for thought.