Yates had New Orleans trading up to seventh overall with the Tennessee Titans and drafting LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers.
“I do think the Saints have a desperate need at offensive tackle,” Yates said. “They may say ‘Hey lets address that in round two’ … They do need a wide receiver here. Their offseason investments, relatively modest … I think New Orleans is a sneaky wide receiver team and this right here would be as good as it gets on the wide receiver front.”
The ESPN analyst also emphasized that he was having fun and he didn’t infer this as a serious possibility. At the same time Yates and Schrager are plugged into every NFL team and have at least a slight idea of what they’re thinking. Both also presumed it’d take the 14th pick and the Saints’ 2025 first-rounder to move up to seventh for Nabers.
New Orleans is familiar with trading multiple first-rounders to move up and draft a receiver. In 2022 it traded the 18th overall pick, a 2023 first, a 2024 second, and then a third-rounder (101) and seventh-rounder (237) in exchange for the 16th and 19th overall picks and a sixth-rounder (194). It then traded the 16th pick plus a third (98) and fourth-rounder (120) for the 11th pick and drafted Chris Olave.
There’s legitimate discussion about Nabers as the top wide receiver in this draft, over Marvin Harrison Jr.. Nabers had 89 catches for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior on the best offense in college football last season. Drafting him or any of the elite receivers is probably one of the few exceptions for New Orleans not to draft an offensive tackle. The combination of Olave and Nabers would give the Saints one of the most promising wide receiver duos in the NFL.
Would the Youngsville, Louisiana native want that though? He was born and raised in the state and grew up just over two hours away from the Superdome. It would make all the sense in the world that he’d want to stay home and play for the NFL team he grew up so close to. In December on Instagram Live Nabers was talking with his quarterback and projected top-three pick Jayden Daniels. Daniels asked if they were a package deal to which Nabers said “I’m not going to the Saints.”
Jayden Daniels: “are we a package deal bro?”
Malik Nabers: “I’m not going to the saints”
DOES THIS MEAN JAYDEN DANIELS IS STAYING IN LOUISIANA? #Saints pic.twitter.com/ylb3EmtcDo
— Trizzy Trace (@tracegirouard48) December 18, 2023
That was also five months ago. We don’t know why he said that then and if he still feels that way, but that’s not an ideal response if you’re a Saints fan. Why did he single out the Saints? Why did he say he wasn’t going to New Orleans?
This could all be for nothing if the Saints stay put at 14th and grab an offensive tackle like most expect them to.
