New Orleans Saints News: Recap Of All 2020 NFL Draft Picks And Undrafted Free Agents
The New Orleans Saints always do things a little bit differently than other teams, and that remained true in the 2020 NFL Draft. The black and gold NFC South champions didn’t have a lot of picks going into this weekend’s big event, but they made the most of their collection. After it was all over, the Saints selected four players who will likely step in and make an impact in their first year with the team.
New Orleans went into the draft with a mere five picks, but they did a bit of aggressive trading, which resulted in only four selections. As reported by ESPN, the Saints have already worked against next year’s picks to trade up and back into rounds in 2020.
With their first-round selection, the Saints surprisingly selected center Cesar Ruiz at No. 24 overall. This move shocked a lot of people as New Orleans chose Erik McCoy last season to play the center position, and that means Ruiz could step in right away to play one of the guard positions.
#WHODAT pic.twitter.com/0QCC0g74L9
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) April 24, 2020
With some trade work, the Saints picked up outside linebacker Zack Baun and tight end Adam Trautman in the third round.
Baun is a great talent who can play at linebacker or defensive end. With the loss of A.J. Klein to the Bills in free agency, Baun could step in right away as a starter. He’ll have to work his way into the starting line-up, but he’s a versatile player who is all over the field.
Trautman is one of the “steals” of this year’s draft. The Saints traded up to select him with the 105th overall pick, and he’ll be another great target for Drew Brees. New Orleans will likely throw him in at the tight end spot as well as a wide receiver from time to time.
With the 240th pick in the #NFLDraft, the #Saints select QB Tommy Stevens, @HailStateFB! #SaintsDraft | @HancockWhitney pic.twitter.com/uS7dylUE8P
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 25, 2020
New Orleans worked even more trades to get back in and select quarterback Tommy Stevens late in the seventh round. Sean Payton could use Stevens in a role similar to that of Taysom Hill, but that’s even if he makes the roster at all.
After the seven rounds of the draft were over, the New Orleans Saints began selecting some undrafted free agents from those still available. Saints Wire put together a full list of those who are looking to earn a roster spot this summer, and here are all the signed names as of Sunday morning.
- WR Marquez Callaway – Tennessee
- DT Malcolm Roach – Texas
- LB Joe Bachie – Michigan State
- OL Calvin Throckmorton – Oregon
- WR Juwan Johnson – Oregon
- OT Darrin Paulo – Utah
- OL Jordan Steckler – North Illinois
- RB Tony Jones Jr. – Notre Dame
- CB Keith Washington – West Virginia
- DE Gus Cumberlander – Oregon
- DB Tino Ellis – Maryland
- P Blake Gillikin – Penn State
