Saints Last-Second Buzz Pointing To 'Powerful' EDGE

The only thing that is guaranteed when it comes to the New Orleans Saints for Thursday's National Football League Draft is that no one outside of the team building really knows what the team is planning to do.

New Orleans has been a speculative fit for a wide range of players heading into the draft. It kicks off on Thursday night and the Saints have the No. 9 pick. Offensive players like Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Warren, Ashton Jeanty, Tetairoa McMillan, and Armand Membou have all been mocked to the Saints at different times over the last few weeks. That doesn't even include defensive players like Mykel Williams, Will Johnson, Mason Graham, and Jalon Walker who have been mocked as well.

The Saints clearly have holes to fill and there is no consensus pick for the Saints ahead of the draft. While this is the case, which direction could they go in? NFL.com NFL Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah shared his final mock on Wednesday and predicted that Williams will end up being the pick.

"No. 9 - New Orleans Saints: Mykel Williams, Georgia, EDGE," Jeremiah said. "There’s a lot of talk about the Saints drafting a quarterback at No. 9, but I think they’ll address that position in the second round. They have an affinity for long, physical edge rushers -- Williams fits that mold."

Most mock drafts really don't mean anything. But, Jeremiah is one of the best insiders when it comes to the NFL Draft. This doesn't guarantee that Williams will end up being the pick. but this a good look at what could be on the way.

Adding someone like Williams to New Orleans' pass rush with Cam Jordan and Chase Young would be a pretty good way to infuse young talent to this defense. He's currently ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect in this class and No. 3 at his position by ESPN.

"Williams is a powerful pass rusher with the length to get into blockers and the strength to push them aside," ESPN's Steve Muench said. "His hands are active, and he mixes in effective inside moves. He frequently rushes between the tackles where his length, active hands and quickness challenges interior offensive linemen. Williams sets the edge defending the run and makes quick work of tight ends. He has room on his frame to bulk up, but he is strong and fights to anchor when getting double-teamed. He showed great toughness playing most of the 2024 season with an ankle injury that hobbled him on tape and forced him to miss two games."

We're just a few hours away from finding out and putting the speculation to rest.

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