NFL Draft 2018: Saints stay in contention by picking Marcus Davenport
Anyone who sees the tape from UTSA football’s defensive end Marcus Davenport knows he can be a force for the New Orleans Saints.
One of the biggest surprises of the first half of the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft came by way of the New Orleans Saints trading way up to nab UTSA Roadrunners defensive end Marcus Davenport. We all remember the rise of Davenport’s draft stock after the Senior Bowl.
His athleticism gave him a similar rise to that of Noah Spence in the NFL Draft here recently. It seems like we always get a significant rise in a small school player like UTSA’s Davenport leading up to every NFL Draft. He’s got huge potential at the professional level if all works out in the end.
New Orleans did have a need to upgrade the defensive line and pass rush. However, the pick looked like it would fall to a quarterback with them trading up so far. Drew Brees is getting close to his retirement, and grooming the next man up should be a top priority this off-season. Quarterbacks like Louisville Cardinals’ Lamar Jackson and Oklahoma State Cowboys’ Mason Rudolph were still on the board.
Davenport takes over next to pass rushers like Cameron Jordan and Sheldon Rankins. This was not the biggest area of need for the Saints, as their defense actually looked good in 2017. Davenport does boost the rotation depth in the front seven, and defensive line individually.
This pick does fall more into the category of disappointment than anything for fans of the Saints, considering the level of some prospects left on the board. New Orleans could have also turned to someone like Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Calvin Ridley or SMU Mustangs wide receiver Courtland Sutton.
Next: Instant grades for every first round NFL Draft pick
The interior of the defensive line could’ve actually used a bit more help than the pass rush for the Saints. It sounded like other teams like the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders were after Davenport, which might have driven the Saints to make this surprising pick.
Grade: B+