Saints Draft position after Week 12

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Going into the bye week, the New Orleans Saints needed some help to increase their odds for a top pick. After a big win by the Cowboys, the Saints are now projected to select at pick 9.

After Marshon Lattimore was traded at the deadline, the Saints were left with a weaker cornerback group. In addition to this trade, Paulson Adebo was already injured, and his future with the Saints is up in the air. New Orleans was down to only Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry. Although this core could work for next season, the Saints may not want to waste their time and add another DB into the mix, and Benjamin Morrison could be that player. Morrison is the draft’s next-best corner behind Travis Hunter and Will Johnson. His stand-out game came from last season against Ohio State, where he was matched up with Marvin Harrison JR. There aren’t many who could shine against Harrison Jr., but Morrison did just that and made a name for himself. At 6 feet, Morrison has some real speed and stays with great route-running receivers. Although he plays primarily at outside corner, Morrison also has some flexibility in the slot. The best part of Morrison’s game may be his ball skills. During his freshman year, Morrison had six interceptions, and in his sophomore year, he had three interceptions. The reason I am talking about Morrison’s previous seasons is because of an injury. Since week 7, the Notre Dame corner has been out with a hip injury and is set to miss the rest of the season. A hip injury could be very worrying for the cornerback position.

Time will tell if this injury ends up affecting Morrison’s play, but if he shows no sign of slowing down, then the Saints could be a perfect team for him. The injury is problematic, and the Saints already have a bad history of drafting injured players. It will be up to the scouting department to see if the injury is a big issue. Besides this injury, Morrison would be a great addition to the roster and once again elevate the corner room to a top position group.

In an earlier Saints Draft Position article, I discussed tight end Colston Loveland as a potential option later in the round. At the time, Loveland was the only TE at the top of the class, but now, Tyler Warren may have taken that spot. At Penn State, Warren is used all over the offense. He has been the main receiver, has punted, and has even snapped the ball, then proceeded to catch a touchdown on the same play. As a receiver, he can separate against corners and make heavily contested catches. Warren also has great speed, which makes him a real threat after the catch. He has to work on his blocking a bit, but Warren has the potential to be the best TE in the NFL.

Like running back, tight end is not a highly valued position in the NFL Draft. The difference with Warren is that he is much more than just a tight end. Drafting him at 9 would be similar to drafting a top wide receiver in the same spot. The Saints could be looking for offensive weapons early in the draft, and Tyler Warren would make sense. TE could be yet another important position for the Saints to fix the next offseason. Juwan Johnson is out of contract after this season, Foster Moreau is good at TE2, and Dallin Holker has not impacted the team. Warren would be a big improvement at tight end, but he can also be used in more of a gadget role.

If the Saints wanted to find a successor to Taysom Hill, then drafting Warren could be an answer. Warren was a high school quarterback and even committed to Virginia Tech in that position. I can already see a trick play with Warren entering the backfield and passing the ball. Also, he could easily be used as a ball carrier in the backfield, exactly as how the Saints use Taysom Hill. With his threat in the passing game and flexibility in the offense, Warren would be a big-time selection at pick 9 for the Saints.