3 Players the Saints Need to Avoid With Their First-Round Picks in 2022 NFL Draft

With the 2022 NFL Draft coming up in two weeks, one team that'll need to make some difficult decisions is the New Orleans Saints. Unless something changes, the Saints are set to enter the draft with the 16th and 19th overall picks in the first round.

Having said that, there are also some players that New Orleans should avoid. Here's a look at three players the Saints need to avoid with their first-round picks.

New Orleans Saints NFL Draft

1. Matt Corral, QB, UNC

The Saints have been in quarterback limbo ever since Drew Brees retired. The chances are this year's top two QBs — Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis — will be gone before they get to either of their picks. Matt Corral is one name that's been linked to New Orleans, however, the organization should avoid him. The 23-year-old didn't show much improvement last season, throwing nine fewer touchdowns (29) and only 12 more passing yards (3,349) last season compared to the previous year despite playing three more games in 2021. Corral also struggles with consistency, making him more of a project than someone who'll be ready this year or next. With the 2023 draft class possessing better QB talent, the Saints should avoid reaching for Corral this year.

2. Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama

Aside from Michael Thomas, the Saints' current crop of wide receivers is relatively bleak. In all honesty, they should use a first-round pick on a wideout. It just shouldn't be Jameson Williams. While the Alabama WR provide that he has all the talent in the world, he's coming off a torn ACL that may delay his 2022 debut. Although modern science has helped athletes deal with such major injuries, the last thing the Saints need is injury issues at wide receiver after Thomas missed the entirety of the 2021 NFL season. New Orleans needs a wideout who can play from Day 1 without question. Unfortunately, Williams isn't that player.

3. Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

The Saints are in the market for some offensive tackle depth after losing Terron Armstead in free agency. Unsurprisingly, Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning is one name that's surfaced that the Saints could draft at No. 16 or 19. While he could be a solid contributor one day, there's reason to avoid him. Scouts have pointed out that he has issues when it comes to allowing defenders to get under him. Additionally, he didn't face the toughest competition playing for an FCS school, so it remains to be seen how he'll fare when things ramp up in the NFL. If the Saints home to be competitive next season, a project like Penning should be avoided.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. 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.