Feeling a “draft”

The 2020 NFL Draft accomplished two different results for both the New Orleans Saints and the LSU Tigers.
For the Saints, this year’s dip into the college talent pool netted a very thin, but beneficial catch. What New Orleans lacked in overall numbers, they are hopeful will be made up for in overall quality.
The Saints began the draft with some specific needs, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But, just as General Manager Mickey Loomis and head coach Sean Payton have done in past drafts, the duo decided to address what they believed was a need in the interior of the offensive line when they selected Michigan center Cesar Ruiz with their first round pick.
After the Minnesota Vikings shredded the interior offensive line of New Orleans during the playoffs last season, Payton and Loomis felt that having a guy that can come in and play either center or guard gives the Saints some flexibility especially with last year’s draft pick Erik McCoy.
“Every one of these guys is going to have to come in and compete,” Payton said. “That’s how you improve your team. (Ruiz) was one of the better interior linemen I have seen in a while. We weren’t drafting someone that high to come in and be a backup.”
New Orleans finally did take care of their linebacker need when they took Wisconsin’s Zack Baun as their first selection in round three.
Baun, a fifth-year senior with the Badgers, recording 12½ sacks and 19½ tackles for loss while earning consensus first-team All America honors. Baun was considered a potential first round or early second round pick.
“Oh my God,” Baun said moments after getting drafted. “There isn’t any other place I’d rather be. “Obviously I didn’t expect to fall this far, but I’m definitely excited. I’m just ready to get things going.”
The Saints collected what many consider the steal of the draft when they chose Dayton University tight end Adam Trautman. His 70 receptions are an all-time school record across all positions in a single season, while his 916 yards rank second among the school’s tight ends for a single season. Trautman now hols the Dayton record for most career receptions (178) and receiving yards (2,295).
“I think he was one of the better blocking tight ends we saw in this draft, especially for a player who played at a small school,” Payton said.
The final pick of the draft for New Orleans actually came as a surprise. In the move to get Trautman, the Saints relinquished their remaining picks to the Minnesota Vikings.
However, New Orleans was able to make one last move, trading their 2021 sixth round pick to the Houston Texans for their seventh round pick. With that pick, the Saints selected Mississippi State quarterback Tommy Stevens.
The Penn State transfer guided the Bulldogs to a 6-7 record this past season. As a fifth-year senior at Mississippi State, Stevens played in nine games and completed 60.2% of his passes for 1,155 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Stevens has been compared to the Saints’ “swiss knife” Taysom Hill after getting on the field in many capacities while at Penn State.
“We want to work with him at quarterback,” coach Sean Payton said. “At the same time, he’s someone who learns very well and will get work at some other positions.”
As for LSU, the perfect season and the number of talented players that the Tigers highlighted in 2019-20 gave the flagship university the best draft results in school history.
Not only did LSU tie the record for most draft picks (14) from any school in a single draft, they also set SEC records for most players selected and most first round picks (5).
The draft for the Tigers began with quarterback Joe Burrow being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals and ended with the Seahawks picking tight end Stephen Sullivan.
Among other first round picks were wide out Justin Jefferson and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Six other former LSU players also signed undrafted free agent contracts, including tight end Thaddeus Moss.