The New Orleans Saints had a season to forget in 2024. They finished tied for last in the NFC South with a disappointing 5-12 record, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Now, with nine total picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including the No. 9 overall selection, the team is expected to take steps toward becoming competitive in the NFL once again.
PFSN’s latest seven-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft from Brentley Weissman breaks down all nine of the Saints’ picks, which include a quarterback, a cornerback, and a wide receiver at the top of the draft haul.
9) Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
The Saints ended with their worst defense since PFSN’s Defense+ metric data started in 2019, and after trading Marshon Lattimore, the writing was on the wall. New Orleans now fills its biggest void in the secondary with Texas CB Jahdae Barron.
“The New Orleans Saints could add a wide receiver to pair with Chris Olave here, but they have a massive hole in the secondary that needs to be addressed,” Weissman said.
“Jahdae Barron is one of the fastest risers in the pre-draft process and significantly improved his stock after the NFL Combine. Primarily a nickel with the Longhorns, Barron proved that he has enough speed and athleticism to survive outside on the boundary at the NFL level.”
Barron’s impact was consistently visible on a snap-to-snap basis for the Longhorns’ impressive SEC debut. Primarily dominating as an outside corner, Barron was not only a lockdown player in coverage but also a turnover-producing machine, with five interceptions in 2024. If he can replicate some of that performance for the Saints, they wouldn’t mind having passed on a receiver like Matthew Golden or Tetairoa McMillan.
40) Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Given Derek Carr’s injury history and inconsistent play, the Saints have to think long-term at some point. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe could be their answer for the future, and he could even be a rotational starter with Carr if the veteran struggles again.
“New Orleans has taken a few mid-round swings for a young quarterback with Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler, but neither is likely to develop into anything more than long-term backups. Jalen Milroe has a chance to be a good starting quarterback in the league, and he has rare physical tools to warrant a gamble here in the second round,” Weissman said.
Milroe finished his college career with 6,016 passing yards, 45 passing touchdowns, 20 interceptions, and a 64.3% completion percentage. While there’s still plenty of room for Milroe to get better, he has all the requisite talent to be a future starter for the Saints.
71) Jack Bech, WR, TCU
Not a single wide receiver had more than 400 receiving yards for the Saints last season, especially after injuries to Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Juwan Johnson, instead, led the team in receiving yards. Even still, the number was a paltry 548 yards, so drafting a receiver is a must for the Saints.
“Jack Bech is a physical and tough receiver who has a knack for getting open. He is a reliable pass catcher and can be a chain mover for this Saints offense, which is in dire need of more pass-catching reliability,” Weissman said.
Bech is coming off a career-best campaign for TCU in 2024, posting 62 receptions for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns in his fourth season. It was the first time he topped 1,000 or 500 receiving yards.
93) Cameron Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
New Orleans has a solid RB in Alvin Kamara, but with injuries taking a toll and his age approaching 30, the Saints will need his successor soon. Arizona State’s Cameron Skattebo excels both as a runner and receiver and could succeed Kamara.
“Cam Skattebo was the star of the College Football Playoff and drastically boosted his stock with the performance he had in his two games against Clemson and Texas. A power back with outstanding balance and vision, he can be what the Saints hoped Kendre Miller would be,” Weissman said.
Skattebo amassed 2,316 all-purpose yards and 25 combined touchdowns (including a passing score) in 2024, finishing fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. In 2022, he posted 1,743 scrimmage yards with three receiving and seven rushing scores at Sacramento State.
112) Tyler Baron, EDGE, Miami (FL)
The Saints haven’t made any additions to the edge rusher room other than retaining Chase Young. The trio of Young, Carl Granderson, and Cameron Jordan didn’t prove to be enough, so drafting Tyler Baron in the fourth round makes sense. Baron recorded career-best numbers with the Miami Hurricanes last season, posting 38 total tackles (18 solo) and 5.5 sacks.
131) Howard Cross III, DT, Notre Dame
The Saints’ defense ranked 19th in the NFL last season, and with Davon Godchaux being the only key addition to their front, New Orleans could add depth with Notre Dame’s Howard Cross III. Cross has put up impressive numbers in his six seasons, recording 169 total tackles and 11 sacks.
184) Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa
The Saints have a solid tight end combination in Johnson as the receiving specialist and Jack Stoll as a blocking specialist. While they have depth behind Johnson, Luke Lachey took on a blocking tight end role in Year 2 at Iowa and would provide depth behind Stoll.
248) Elijhah Badger, WR, Florida
With the addition of Bech in the third round, New Orleans has a potent enough receiver room. But adding depth with Elijhah Badger isn’t a bad move either. He has been highly consistent for the Florida Gators, posting 700+ receiving yards in each of the last three seasons.
254) Aaron Smith, LB, South Carolina State
The Saints have a well-rounded linebacker room with Demario Davis, Pete Werner, and Nephi Sewell. But Davis, their top linebacker, is 36 years old, and New Orleans needs to think long-term. In this scenario, they make the move at the end of the draft, selecting Aaron Smith in the final round.