Saints' Top 2023 NFL Draft Targets
Last year, the New Orleans Saints made two picks in the first round of the NFL draft, thanks to a trade they pulled off with the Philadelphia Eagles. However, it cost the Saints their first-round selection in 2023, meaning the Eagles will be on the clock at No. 10 overall when this year's NFL draft gets underway Thursday night in Kansas City.
New Orleans will still be involved in the opening round, though. It now owns the No. 29 overall pick, a selection that originally belonged to the San Francisco 49ers and that the Saints acquired from the Denver Broncos, who parted with the pick as compensation for hiring Sean Payton as their head coach.
The NFL draft takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and it should be a busy time for the Saints, who own eight picks. They have at least one selection in every round, including two in the seventh and final round.
Here's a look at several players New Orleans may want to consider targeting with its top selections in the draft.
Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
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It's not exactly clear what position group the Saints may look to add to when they're first on the clock at No. 29. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. could see it going a variety of ways.
"The Saints are a hard team to predict," Kiper recently wrote. "Could they go tight end here? What about a young edge defender or safety?"
But Kiper also noted New Orleans has "cleaned out" the defensive tackle position this offseason. And he's right. The Saints lost David Onyemata (who signed with the Atlanta Falcons) and Shy Tuttle (Carolina Panthers). Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepard, New Orleans' free-agent acquisitions, are less-proven players, so the DT group could still use a boost and additional depth.
Bryan Bresee could be a great fit for the Saints. He started games in all three years he was at Clemson, recording nine sacks in 25 games. So the 21-year-old could provide a significant upgrade to the interior of New Orleans' defensive line.
Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson
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Bresee isn't the only Clemson defensive lineman the Saints may want to target. Myles Murphy is another former Tigers standout who could be a strong addition to New Orleans' defensive front for the long-term future.
Murphy had 18.5 sacks over 35 games during his three years at Clemson, but the 6-foot-5, 258-pound edge rusher has the size and skills to potentially put up even bigger numbers as he develops in the NFL.
The Saints lost Marcus Davenport, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings in free agency. So New Orleans could use a young, talented pass rusher to start opposite veteran Cameron Jordan on the other end of the defensive line in 2023.
While Murphy may not be a dominant performer right away, he has a lot of potential. As the Saints look to construct a D-line that can be an anchor for the defense for years to come, Murphy could be a solid building block for the team to consider adding.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
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New Orleans' tight end room still has Juwan Johnson, Adam Trautman and Taysom Hill. But none of those three players is likely to become top-tier pass-catchers at the position. Luke Musgrave, though, has the potential to be that in the NFL.
When quarterback Derek Carr was with the Las Vegas Raiders, he often utilized tight end Darren Waller in the offense. Now that Carr is in New Orleans, he'd likely be in a better position to succeed if he had a playmaking TE to lean on in crucial passing downs.
Musgrave played only two games during the 2022 season at Oregon State due to a knee injury. However, he has an impressive skill set, as ESPN's Todd McShay recently wrote Musgrave "didn't have a ton of college production, but he has speed and a wide catch radius."
There's a decent chance Musgrave could still be on the board when the Saints are on the clock at No. 40 in the second round. If that's the case, it could make a ton of sense for New Orleans to pick him up with that selection.
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