The New Orleans Saints made four selections in the final four rounds of day three of the NFL Draft.
Before day three began, the Black and Gold traded up to the first pick in the fourth round to draft Nick Saldiveri with the 103rd pick. Saldiveri played on the offensive line for Old Dominion where he started for three years.
The lineman stands at 6’6″ and weighs 320 lbs and has been described as an athletic zone blocker that has the ability to play tackle, pulling guard, and center if need be with his experience snapping the football.
New Orleans then traded up to the 127 spot to take Jake Haener out of Fresno State. This is now the second quarterback on the Saints roster that is a former Bulldog. Haener has been described as the most underrated quarterback in the class as he isn’t the biggest physical prospect at 6’0″ and 207 lbs and didn’t play in a Power 5 conference but stood out at the Senior Bowl and won the game’s MVP award.
In his last three years with Fresno State, Haener threw for over 9,000 yards and 67 touchdowns compared to just 17 interceptions while completing 68 percent of his passes.
The lone selection in the fifth round was at pick 146 where New Orleans drafted safety Jordan Howden out of Minnesota. Howden stands at 6’0′ and 210 lbs and played all five years of his college career with the Golden Gophers. In those years, he made 240 tackles, intercepted four passes, and recorded 20 defensed passes.
Howden plays instinctively and fast as he shows range and the ability to play in deep coverage. The former gopher can also play in the box for run support and fill the gaps.
With the final pick the Saints traded tight end Adam Trautman and their seventh-rounder for pick 195 and they selected A.T. Perry out of Wake Forest. Perry is a long, skinny wide receiver at 6’4″ and 200 lbs.
Even at his size, Perry still ran a 4.47 40-yard dash time, recorded at 35″ vertical, and a broad jump of 11′ 1″. He was given his chance to start in 2021 and 2022 where he made 71 catches for 1,293 yards and 15 touchdowns and 81 catches for 1,096 yards and 11 touchdowns.
