pizzo'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

pizzo'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 2, 2025

jjjj

  • pizzo DRAFTING FOR THE
    Saints
Draft Selections
James Pearce Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 9 RND: 1 (NO)
James Pearce Jr.
DE-EDGE Tennessee
Jaxson Dart Head Shot
PICK: 40 RND: 2 (NO)
Jaxson Dart
QB Ole Miss
Deone Walker Head Shot
PICK: 93 RND: 3 (NO)
Deone Walker
DT Kentucky
Jackson Slater Head Shot
PICK: 112 RND: 4 (NO)
Jackson Slater
OG Sacramento State
Tyler Baron Head Shot
PICK: 131 RND: 4 (NO)
Tyler Baron
DE-EDGE Miami
Draft Picks Received
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (DET)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Carson Schwesinger Head Shot
PICK: 71 RND: 3 (DAL)
Carson Schwesinger
LB UCLA
Players Gained
Head Shot
Mazi Smith
DT
Draft Grade — Saints
Overall B+
ValueC+ NeedA- TradesA- FutureB
A solid, sensible weekend for the Saints: B+.

Call it belief, call it a gut call, but Jackson Slater at the 112th pick is 35 spots clear of consensus, and that is the headline. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B+.

Leaving cornerback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. The Mazi Smith pickup adds a known quantity to a class of unknowns.

That Walker pick is the receipt they will wave around later. Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 4 of 8 of the wish list covered.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the cornerback spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick9 Rnd1 James Pearce Jr.
In pick 9 they get a quarterback's worst nightmare at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick40 Rnd2 Jaxson Dart
Jaxson Dart in the Round 2 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick93 Rnd3 Deone Walker
Value with a capital V on Deone Walker in pick No. 93, a genuine coup. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick112 Rnd4 Jackson Slater
A big swing on Jackson Slater at No. 112, well ahead of any board in the building. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick131 Rnd4 Tyler Baron
Tyler Baron at Round 4, Pick 29 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.