The 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the books. After a flurry of selections from Thursday to Saturday, 259 players were selected to join the NFL.
With that, we give you our full recap of the New Orleans Saints‘ draft, with analysis on every selection the team made during the weekend and an in-depth look at their top pick.
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2023 NFL Draft Picks
R1 (29): DI Bryan Bresee, Clemson
R2 (40): EDGE Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
R3 (71): RB Kendre Miller, TCU
R4 (103): OT Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion
R4 (127): QB Jake Haener, Fresno State
R5 (146): S Jordan Howden, Minnesota
R6 (195): WR A.T. Perry, Wake Forest
Day 1: A talented player on the defensive interior, Bresee is coming off a season where he posted a career-high 82.0 PFF pass-rushing grade. He can play across multiple spots on the interior and even has some experience playing outside the tackles.
Day 2: Foskey has the size and athletic profile that New Orleans tends to covet on the edge. He uses his 34-plus-inch arms well to keep himself clean but never dominated as a pass-rusher at Notre Dame like his sack numbers might indicate, posting a 42nd-percentile pass-rush grade at the position over the past two seasons.
Miller was remarkably productive at TCU, averaging over 6.5 yards per carry over the last two seasons. He earned an 88.5 rushing grade and forced 70 missed tackles in 2022, the latter a top-25 mark. Miller can bounce runs outside and make one sharp cut to get upfield in a hurry, and his 816 yards after contact ranked sixth in the Power Five.
Day 3: Saldiveri earned an 85.1 pass-blocking grade in 2022 at tackle but likely moves inside to guard at the next level. Both starting guards in New Orleans are entering contract years if the Saints decline the fifth-year option for 2020 first-round pick Cesar Ruiz. Saldiveri was a late riser who generated a ton of buzz over the last few weeks, and New Orleans felt it was necessary to trade up to ensure it got him.
The Saints give up a 2024 fourth-round pick to move all the way up from Pick 227 and select the Fresno State quarterback. Haener excelled on throws between 10 and 19 yards downfield, producing a 92.1 PFF grade on those plays, but he earned just a 45.7 PFF grade under pressure.
Howden earned an 80.6 coverage grade with an 18.4% forced incompletion rate in 2022, and he rarely misses a tackle (3.1% missed tackle rate). He’s a solid and reliable player on the back end with above-average athleticism and almost 2,000 snaps over the past three seasons.
Perry's consistency left something to be desired at Wake Forest, but this is great value for the Saints in Round 6. Perry has an impressive catch radius paired with an ability to create separation downfield. He's coming off back-to-back seasons at Wake Forest with at least 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions.
Forsyth played 805 snaps in 2022, producing a 72.0 grade in 2022 that included an 83.5 true pass-blocking grade. He allowed just one hurry from 408 pass-blocking snaps.
DRAFT GRADE: B-
Prospect Spotlight: DI Bryan Bresee, Clemson
The former top recruit in the 2020 class, Bresee isn't your run-of-the-mill 300-pounder. He can really move and is even capable of playing outside the tackles. He came back from an ACL tear to earn a career-high 82.0 pass-rushing grade this past fall.
Strengths, weaknesses and NFL role
Where he wins: Explosiveness
Bresee has a unique combination of size, flexibility and burst that can get under offensive linemen and reset the line of scrimmage.
What's his role? Versatile DT
Bresee is more than capable of playing any alignment from five-technique and in, as he has the length and play strength to execute any role asked of him. Ideally, he's going to align head-up over offensive tackles, but it's not a necessity.
What he can improve: Creativity
Bresee's tape is like a broken record. He throws both hands into the lineman across from him and sits there waiting for something to happen, so he's not much of a playmaker.
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