3 Late-Round Steals the Saints Should Target in the 2021 NFL Draft

The 2021 NFL Draft is just a few days away and the New Orleans Saints need to make sure they make impactful selections past the first round. Finding steals in the late rounds is exactly what differentiates the Super Bowl contending teams from the ones at the bottom of the standings.

This draft class is full of talent and depth, which is great for the Saints. With that being said, here are three late-round steals New Orleans should target in the 2021 NFL Draft.

1. Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh

The defensive line is one area the Saints need to address through the draft this year. They lack any depth there and could look towards Pittsburgh's Rashad Weaver as a way to fill in the gap. Weaver showcased an ability to get to the quarterback in college as he combined for 14 sacks in the last two seasons (23 games). He also forced five fumbles during that span and has the length needed to play at the next level. Weaver has also proven that he can work around double-teams. He would be a great developmental player to add to this defense.

2. Cam Sample, EDGE, Tulane

Another late-round target that could see some playing time on the defensive line as soon as next season is Tulane's Cam Sample. Sample shined all week at the Senior Bowl and the Saints have built a reputation of drafting players who participate in that game. Sample had his best season in 2020 racking up 52 tackles and 5.0 sacks for the Green Wave. He has great reaction speed and can regularly anticipate what plays are ahead. Sample was nothing but productive in his college career and could take on some of the snaps left behind by Trey Hendrickson.

3. Sam Ehlinger, QB, Texas

This may seem like a surprising pick, but the Saints do not have as much depth at the quarterback position as people believe. Expected starter Jameis Winston signed just a one-year deal and Taysom Hill is now 30 years old. Grabbing a seasoned college starter in Texas' Sam Ehlinger would give the team a developmental player to work with in the years to come. Ehlinger had a 94-27 TD-INT ratio in college and can definitely be a hot-or-cold type of player. However, he has been durable throughout his career and has great pocket awareness.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.