Ganger101'S MOCK DRAFT
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Ganger101'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON SEP 16, 2025

What Could’ve been

  • Ganger101 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Saints
Draft Selections
Kelvin Banks Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 9 RND: 1 (NO)
Kelvin Banks Jr.
OT Texas
Nick Emmanwori Head Shot
PICK: 40 RND: 2 (NO)
Nick Emmanwori
S South Carolina
Elijah Arroyo Head Shot
PICK: 71 RND: 3 (NO)
Elijah Arroyo
TE Miami
Darius Alexander Head Shot
PICK: 93 RND: 3 (NO)
Darius Alexander
DT Toledo
Dorian Strong Head Shot
PICK: 112 RND: 4 (NO)
Dorian Strong
CB Virginia Tech
Dont'e Thornton Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 131 RND: 4 (NO)
Dont'e Thornton Jr.
WR Tennessee
DJ Giddens Head Shot
PICK: 184 RND: 6 (NO)
DJ Giddens
RB Kansas State
Teddye Buchanan Head Shot
PICK: 248 RND: 7 (NO)
Teddye Buchanan
LB California
Collin Oliver Head Shot
PICK: 254 RND: 7 (NO)
Collin Oliver
LB-EDGE Oklahoma State
Draft Grade — Saints
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
The Saints checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.

The Saints put a flag in the ground for Dont'e Thornton Jr., 54 picks before anyone else would have, and the value took the hit.

On value alone, Emmanwori makes the weekend a net positive. A whole weekend of picks and quarterback is somehow still a want.

They went 7 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.

A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.

Pick Analysis
Pick9 Rnd1 Kelvin Banks Jr.
They paid sticker price for Kelvin Banks Jr. in slot 9, and that is fine. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick40 Rnd2 Nick Emmanwori
You do not let a safety like Nick Emmanwori reach the Round 2 slot and blink. They did not. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick71 Rnd3 Elijah Arroyo
Elijah Arroyo in the 71st overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. The roster fit checks out.
Pick93 Rnd3 Darius Alexander
They took Darius Alexander at par in No. 93, which is nothing to complain about. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick112 Rnd4 Dorian Strong
They liked Dorian Strong enough to skip the value, taking him in pick No. 112. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick131 Rnd4 Dont'e Thornton Jr.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Dont'e Thornton Jr. well ahead of where he belonged. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick184 Rnd6 DJ Giddens
DJ Giddens is a better player than the Round 6 slot suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick248 Rnd7 Teddye Buchanan
Teddye Buchanan at the 248th overall pick is a conviction pick that outran the value. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick254 Rnd7 Collin Oliver
Value said wait; Collin Oliver in No. 254 says they were not listening. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.