Offseason Overview: Strengthening Key Areas
The New Orleans Saints entered the 2025 NFL Draft with a well-defined strategy: bolster the defense, add explosive offensive weapons, and solidify depth at key positions. Their offseason moves addressed some critical needs, but the draft was an opportunity to continue reshaping the roster.
Key Offseason Moves:
Re-signed DE Chase Young – Ensuring continuity in their pass rush.
Signed S Justin Reid (from Chiefs) – A veteran presence to stabilize the secondary.
Re-signed TE Juwan Johnson – Keeping a reliable red-zone target in-house.
Re-signed WR Dante Pettis – Adding depth to the receiver room.
Traded for DT Davon Godchaux – Strengthening the interior defensive line.
Cap & Roster Adjustments:
Restructured QB Derek Carr’s contract – Creating cap flexibility.
Departures:
CB Paulsen Adebo – Leaving a significant gap in the secondary.
DE Payton Turner – A former first-round pick who struggled to stay on the field.
With these moves in place, the Saints entered the draft aiming to find impact players who could contribute right away.
Saints 2025 Mock Draft Selections
1. Round 1, Pick 9 – Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
2. Round 2, Pick 40 – Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
3. Round 3, Pick 71 – Elijah Roberts, EDGE, SMU
4. Round 3, Pick 93 – Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas
5. Round 4, Pick 112 – David Walker, EDGE, Central Arkansas
6. Round 4, Pick 131 – Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State
7. Round 6, Pick 184 – Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse
8. Round 7, Pick 248 – Marcus Wehr, G, Montana State
9. Round 7, Pick 254 – Donovan Edwards, HB, Michigan
The Saints were awarded an additional 7th-round pick, which is reflected in this mock draft.
Player-by-Player Analysis
1. Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas (Round 1, Pick 9)
• Positives: Barron is a highly instinctive cornerback who thrives in man coverage. He has the speed to keep up with deep threats and the physicality to disrupt routes at the line of scrimmage. Personally, I would hate this pick, because I feel the need for a WR is too strong and T. Mac was still on the board. However, as Saints fans we have to brace ourselves for the possibility that the Moore Era like the Payton Era will lead to picks that go away from the consensus thought. Late in the Dennis Allen era fans got EVERYTHING they asked for, and soon they were asking for him to be fired. Barron would be a great addition but I think #9 is too rich for him. With that said this is how I think the Saints might move.
• Logic Behind the Pick: The Saints lost Paulsen Adebo and need a long-term CB1. With Kool-Aid McKinstry feeling not quite ready to be CB1, selecting Barron would immediately strengthen the secondary. This move would also allow the Saints to move Alontae Taylor back to the slot where he was one of the most disruptive players in the NFL.
2. Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford (Round 2, Pick 40)
• Positives: A big-bodied receiver with excellent hands, Ayomanor is known for his strong contested-catch ability and his ability to win at all three levels of the field. What he did to Travis Hunter and the Colorado Buffalos should be studied. He is my WR steal of the draft.
• Logic Behind the Pick: Pairing Ayomanor with Chris Olave and Dante Pettis would give Derek Carr another reliable target while ensuring depth in the receiver room.
3. Elijah Roberts, EDGE, SMU (Round 3, Pick 71)
• Positives: A relentless pass-rusher who wins with speed and agility. He has a quick first step and excellent pursuit ability.
• Logic Behind the Pick: Even with Chase Young re-signed, the Saints need another EDGE presence to rotate and apply constant pressure.
4. Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas (Round 3, Pick 93)
• Positives: Versatile safety with the ability to play in both deep coverage and the box. A strong tackler with solid ball skills. Clocked a 4.4 as well in Indy, his speed could really help the overall speed of the Saints defense.
• Logic Behind the Pick: Tyrann Mathieu is aging, and Mukuba could develop into a long-term solution at safety.
5. David Walker, EDGE, Central Arkansas (Round 4, Pick 112)
• Positives: Explosive pass rusher with great bend and a high motor.
• Logic Behind the Pick: A rotational EDGE who could provide depth and development behind Chase Young.
6. Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State (Round 4, Pick 131)
• Positives: Reliable hands and excellent route-running ability. Works well both outside and in the slot.
• Logic Behind the Pick: With Olave and Ayomanorleading the WR corps, Horton could be a great complementary piece.
7. Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse (Round 6, Pick 184)
• Positives: Strong arm, quick release, and solid pocket awareness.
• Logic Behind the Pick: Even with Derek Carr’s restructured deal, the Saints could use a young QB to develop behind him.
8. Marcus Wehr, G, Montana State (Round 7, Pick 248)
• Positives: Powerful in the run game, with solid pass-blocking potential.
• Logic Behind the Pick: Provides depth on the interior offensive line, which was an issue for the Saints last season.
9. Donovan Edwards, HB, Michigan (Round 7, Pick 254)
• Positives: Explosive runner with great pass-catching ability. A versatile weapon out of the backfield.
• Logic Behind the Pick: With Alvin Kamara getting older, Edwards could be groomed as his eventual replacement.
Why Not Shedeur Sanders?
In this mock draft, Shedeur Sanders was still available in the third round. As someone who believes the Saints should take him at No. 9, letting him slide this far in the mock draft feels completely unrealistic.
The Las Vegas Raiders made it clear they did not expect Sanders to be available at No. 6, which is why they traded for Geno Smith to solidify their QB situation.
🔹 Raiders General Manager Tom Telesco: “We love Shedeur, but we traded for Geno because we believe there was a 0% chance he would still be there at six.”
This quote makes it clear that NFL decision-makers don’t expect Sanders to fall far, which makes his mock draft slide unrealistic.
Final Thoughts: Saints’ Draft Strategy & Takeaways
Biggest Strengths in This Mock Draft:
• Jahdae Barron would immediately fill a major need in the secondary.
• EDGE rushers Elijah Roberts & David Walker would add much-needed depth to the pass rush.
• Elic Ayomanor and Tory Horton would give the Saints a dangerous WR group.
• Kyle McCord would provide a solid developmental QB option behind Carr and could compete with Rattler.
Potential Concerns:
• The Saints still need an elite CB. Kool-Aid McKinstry struggled last season, and fans may not trust relying on development alone.
• The linebacker depth remains questionable. The Saints did not address this position in the draft.
• The offensive line may still need more high-end talent. Adding a guard late may not be enough.
Final Grade: B+
This Saints 2025 Mock Draft would help strengthen key areas, but a few remaining gaps would still need to be addressed. If this were the actual draft outcome, the Saints might still be one or two free-agent moves away from being true contenders.
