The New Orleans Saints could go in a number of different directions with their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Their cap situation resulted in some good players departing in free agency, such as left tackle Terron Armstead.
Will New Orleans use their first-round pick on an offensive lineman to replace him? A quarterback could also be in play depending on how the board shakes out ahead of them. New Orleans isn’t in a position to trade up for a quarterback prospect, but should one fall down the draft board, the Saints could stop that skid.
Jameis Winston was re-signed in free agency and the team is hopeful he will be ready to go in Week 1 after injuring his knee in a Week 8 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He and Andy Dalton will likely compete for the quarterback job with Taysom Hill reportedly being moved to tight end.
The other possible position that the Saints could target is wide receiver. That is the direction that Austin Gayle of PFF believes they will go in, as he is predicting Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams landing in The Big Easy.
Williams was the No. 1 receiver in this year’s draft class throughout the 2021 season. Unfortunately for him, a knee injury in the National Championship Game in January has put a dent in his stock and knocked him down the draft board a few spots.
Landing with the Saints would be a great spot for him. With Michael Thomas as the No. 1 option right now, Williams can be brought along slowly, as he could miss the start of the season. There would be no pressure on him to rush back to the field as Thomas was one of the best wide receivers in the NFL when healthy in 2018 and 2019.
Playing opposite of him should present plenty of opportunities for Williams to produce. Teams will be diverting all of their attention to Thomas, which Williams is more than capable of taking advantage of.
The best deep threat in this year’s draft class, Williams has legitimate No. 1 wide receiver and star potential. The Saints could be getting a steal selecting him at No. 18 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft when he was ticketed for a top-10 pick before the injury.
