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Goldfish's Way Too Early Draft Rankings 2024 (All Up)


goldfishwars

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26. New Orleans Saints

Spencer Rattler throwing a football at NFL Combine

This Class In One Sentence:

At the higher end of outcomes for a roster that needs a full reset

Pre-Draft Needs (According to https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/team-needs-2024)

OT, EDGE, WR, DL, TE, CB, QB

Selections

14. Taliese Fuaga | OT | Oregon State

41. Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | Alabama

150. Spencer Rattler | QB | South Carolina

170. Bub Means | WR | Pittsburgh

175. Jaylan Ford | LB | Texas

199. Khristian Boyd | DL | Northern Iowa

239. Josiah Ezirim | OT | Eastern Kentucky

Best Pick

It might be Rattler at 150, but it’s probably Kool-Aid in the second round, even if it meant trading away 5th and 6th round picks to Green Bay because they can’t help themselves. I had a 2nd round grade on him, thinking he might sneak into the first. He’s a smart, sticky cover corner, who allowed a completion percentage of only 47.1% over his last two seasons. He does have some questions over his long speed and a troublesome foot injury, which might explain his fall.

Worst Pick

I don’t think they made a bad selection given what they had, but I’d have expected an early selection on the defensive lne. Elsewhere, I soured a little on Fuaga at tackle and see him more as a quality guard which is unfortunate because the Saints need to replace Penning and have Ramcyk’s declining health to consider. Taliese is a devastating run-blocker, but lacks the balance and arm-length to be as refined in pass-pro on the edge. Again, definitely not a bad pick because he has a home on that line somewhere.

Overall

It’s fair to say the current Saints roster is among the worst in the league right now. It’s a directionless roster with a cap on its ceiling, given who the quarterback is, their horrible cap situation. And let's face it, the best players on this team are getting old - the whole franchise from top to bottom lacks an identity in the post Payton/Brees eta. There are just too many holes to fill and they did not give themselves enough draft capital to do that effectively. Still, this is a decent enough stab given the above.

I think it’s fair to say the NFL as a whole viewed Spencer Rattler as a back-up, given his draft position and the fact QB needy teams like the Giants and Raiders passed on him several times. He does have crazy arm talent, the ball really flies out of his hand. He’s also overcome a lot of adversity, and was a poor decision-maker early in his career and an objectively terrible person as a teenager. It wouldn’t be a shock to see him starting games in New Orleans, especially if Carr gets upset about the idea of having competition. If that happens, it would be objectively funny and not necessarily an endorsement of the new guy.  

Of the four remaining picks, I like a little about each. Means has some fans as a vertical threat who has a real shot of getting playing time on this roster. Jaylan Ford is good if you can get him him running and chasing and not putting anything else on his plate, should be a decent Special Teams sort of player. Khristian Boyd has some natural power as a run stuffer, Josiah Ezirim is a power blocking guard/tackle who is tick above UDFA quality right now.

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8 minutes ago, goldfishwars said:

'I have my team's draft ranked higher' - Fan of Team

Hey now. I resemble this remark.

I am shocked to see the Saints this low. I loved their draft. Even Rattler was at decent value. Means was a reach, but that was already late.

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9 minutes ago, goldfishwars said:

'I have my team's draft ranked higher' - Fan of Team

I for one will stick up for Saints fan here, I thought they would be higher than 26! Fuaga was arguably my favorite player in the draft and at a huge position of need for NO. Kool-Aid in the 2nd looks good too. Of course Rattler is a wildcard but worth the "risk" in the 5th imo.

I can't speak about the other picks.

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44 minutes ago, goldfishwars said:

26. New Orleans Saints

Spencer Rattler throwing a football at NFL Combine

This Class In One Sentence:

At the higher end of outcomes for a roster that needs a full reset

Pre-Draft Needs (According to https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/team-needs-2024)

OT, EDGE, WR, DL, TE, CB, QB

Selections

14. Taliese Fuaga | OT | Oregon State

41. Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | Alabama

150. Spencer Rattler | QB | South Carolina

170. Bub Means | WR | Pittsburgh

175. Jaylan Ford | LB | Texas

199. Khristian Boyd | DL | Northern Iowa

239. Josiah Ezirim | OT | Eastern Kentucky

Best Pick

It might be Rattler at 150, but it’s probably Kool-Aid in the second round, even if it meant trading away 5th and 6th round picks to Green Bay because they can’t help themselves. I had a 2nd round grade on him, thinking he might sneak into the first. He’s a smart, sticky cover corner, who allowed a completion percentage of only 47.1% over his last two seasons. He does have some questions over his long speed and a troublesome foot injury, which might explain his fall.

Worst Pick

I don’t think they made a bad selection given what they had, but I’d have expected an early selection on the defensive lne. Elsewhere, I soured a little on Fuaga at tackle and see him more as a quality guard which is unfortunate because the Saints need to replace Penning and have Ramcyk’s declining health to consider. Taliese is a devastating run-blocker, but lacks the balance and arm-length to be as refined in pass-pro on the edge. Again, definitely not a bad pick because he has a home on that line somewhere.

Overall

It’s fair to say the current Saints roster is among the worst in the league right now. It’s a directionless roster with a cap on its ceiling, given who the quarterback is, their horrible cap situation. And let's face it, the best players on this team are getting old - the whole franchise from top to bottom lacks an identity in the post Payton/Brees eta. There are just too many holes to fill and they did not give themselves enough draft capital to do that effectively. Still, this is a decent enough stab given the above.

I think it’s fair to say the NFL as a whole viewed Spencer Rattler as a back-up, given his draft position and the fact QB needy teams like the Giants and Raiders passed on him several times. He does have crazy arm talent, the ball really flies out of his hand. He’s also overcome a lot of adversity, and was a poor decision-maker early in his career and an objectively terrible person as a teenager. It wouldn’t be a shock to see him starting games in New Orleans, especially if Carr gets upset about the idea of having competition. If that happens, it would be objectively funny and not necessarily an endorsement of the new guy.  

Of the four remaining picks, I like a little about each. Means has some fans as a vertical threat who has a real shot of getting playing time on this roster. Jaylan Ford is good if you can get him him running and chasing and not putting anything else on his plate, should be a decent Special Teams sort of player. Khristian Boyd has some natural power as a run stuffer, Josiah Ezirim is a power blocking guard/tackle who is tick above UDFA quality right now.

Well, on the bright side, I didn't have to wait very long to read the @goldfishwarswrite up of the Saints this year! Lol

Good stuff as always. One of my favorite threads every year. I thought the Saints did a good job of taking what came to them and filling positions of need with quality players. Maybe they'll get themselves out of this weird self imposed purgatory this decade. Probably not though...

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23 minutes ago, SWATcha said:

Well, on the bright side, I didn't have to wait very long to read the @goldfishwarswrite up of the Saints this year! Lol

Good stuff as always. One of my favorite threads every year. I thought the Saints did a good job of taking what came to them and filling positions of need with quality players. Maybe they'll get themselves out of this weird self imposed purgatory this decade. Probably not though...

Thanks for reading my man :)

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I didn't think the Saints draft would be rated high as they didn't do anything flashy.  They just picked good players that are going to be able to help make the roster younger and better for the long run.  I do disagree with it being one of the worst rosters.  For the most part outside of the OL, there isn't really a weakness, though I do agree that it really lacks a direction and has some cap issues.  Though who knows KoolAid might also signal a trade of Lattimore which will help improve the future cap situation sooner while also bringing in more picks to help revitalize the roster.

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3 hours ago, Raves said:

I didn't think the Saints draft would be rated high as they didn't do anything flashy.  They just picked good players that are going to be able to help make the roster younger and better for the long run.  I do disagree with it being one of the worst rosters.  For the most part outside of the OL, there isn't really a weakness, though I do agree that it really lacks a direction and has some cap issues.  Though who knows KoolAid might also signal a trade of Lattimore which will help improve the future cap situation sooner while also bringing in more picks to help revitalize the roster.

 

Id say the Saints are average to below average at QB, RB (Kamara is close to washed), WR (Olave is solid but after that it's a lot of meh) too.

DE is looking a bit rough considering Jordans age and Chase Young's lack of effort, and S doesn't look great either.

To make matters worse, the Saints just have almost no stars to make up for some of those weaknesses. Davis and Lattimore would be about it these days.

I guess it's fair to say there aren't a ton of weak positions but I'd reword that to the only positions of strength are LB and CB

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Posted (edited)

25. Miami Dolphins

Armando Basurto raises his fist after naming a pick by the Miami Dolphins during round four of the 2024 NFL draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza on April 27, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.

This Class In One Sentence:

I mean, in terms of the capital they gave themselves to fill major holes – this is somewhere in the high variance end of potential outcomes.

Pre-Draft Needs (According to https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/team-needs-2024)

OT, IOL, DL, EDGE, WR, CB, TE

Selections

21. Chop Robinson | EDGE | Penn State

53. Patrick Paul | OT | Houston

120. Jaylen Wright | RB | Tennessee

158. Mohamed Kamara | EDGE | Colorado State

184. Malik Washington | WR | Virginia

198. Patrick McMorris | S | Cal

241. Tahj Washington | WR | USC

Best Pick

Malik Washington – Loved this guy, for what he is, which is a tiny tank at 5’9 and 195. No idea what he was doing being available at 184. He’s got phenomenal hands, and will catch everything. He’s a good YAC receiver, can explode into top gear in no time. He can handle volume, and will return kicks. That said, the lack of length probably limits him to the slot and short slots are a getting a little out of vogue.

Worst Pick

I don’t actively dislike any of the selections, but there’s definitely more than a whiff of high variance in the first two picks and people will love/hate this draft because of that. I tend to shy away from ‘electric first step’ pass-rushers who haven't produced as they should – especially ones who are poor run defenders to the point they might only have DPR upside in the NFL. And I also tend to shy away from tackles with high pad level and poor technique despite their vast experience, although pick 53 is probably fine for that sort of thing.

Overall

Man, what a hilarious way to build a team. No attempt to replace what should have been a cornerstone defensive player, and instead re-invest on speed. There’s no foundation, no substance – we’re just gonna fly fellas and see where the chips fall. And there’s plenty of stuff to like in this haul of players. For me, that enthusiasm tilts more to the second half of the class – but there absolutely is a world where this all turns out great for Miami. It will be great or terrible and nothing in between.

Chop does have an electric first step, the sort you rarely see from any speed rusher – always threatening the outside shoulder. He is a high-end athlete hints at huge growth potential. Patrick Paul has perfect length (6’7 and 36 inch arms!) and size. He’s an experienced four year starter at Houston. He moves well, shows plenty agility for a man of his size. Jaylen Wright is electric out there, can take it to the house on every snap. I think the Dolphins will scheme it up to give him the wide lanes he needs. Mostert is getting up there in age, he’s probably quite a similar player in that you would worry about the lack of power in most schemes.

Mohamed Kamara is a stats producer, with 30 sacks over his final three seasons and 17 TFL in his final year. He’s explosive and tough and lived in the backfield at Colorado State. But he lacks length at under 6’2 and 32 inch arms and will be 25 as a rookie. To be honest, he looks ten years older than that. I’m not familiar with McMorris, but Tahj Washington is a little better than where he was drafted. I think they did well with both receiver picks.

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11 hours ago, TakeTheBallDeep said:

Quick question, I live out in the country and have just ok internet and am thinking of buying a PS5...but I read everything is mostly online? Should I hold off until I have a quality high speed internet?

I think you’d be fine. Depends what kind of games you want to play, but if it’s just using the infrastructure, an Ok connection in USA is fine.

Edited by Hunter2_1
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