Like everyone else across the league, the New Orleans Saints are doing a lot of NFL Draft homework this week.
Fresh off the annual league meetings, head coach Kellen Moore and the scouting department will compare some notes from their Pro Day visits and look to start compiling their big board for the end of the month. One top college prospect that they're going to get a closer look at is Michigan Wolverines defensive tackle Mason Graham.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the projected Top-10 pick will be on pre-draft visits with the Saints and New England Patriots over the next three days. With New Orleans picking at 9th, they have an opportunity to bolster their defense with a presence like Graham.
The Saints could go in a few different directions when it's time to make their selection, but a defensive route makes a ton of sense. New Orleans is shifting to a new look under Brandon Staley, which focuses on three down defensive linemen.
New Orleans traded for Davon Godchaux ahead of the new league year to help anchor the line as their nose tackle while also making financial moves to keep Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd. Bryan Bresee enters his third season after leading the team in sacks last season. They also have John Ridgeway III, Ryder Anderson, Khristian Boyd and Jonah Williams for their line.
As for Mason Graham, he was my very first mock draft pick for the Saints at the beginning of January. New Orleans was not good defensively last season in a variety of categories, particularly against the run. They finished as the second-worst run defense and it's hardly a shock given what we learned about Todd Grantham's short tenure as their line coach.
The ability to control the trenches will be key for Kellen Moore's team in 2025, and Graham could absolutely help get the job with new line coach Bo Davis leading the way.
