• A new QB in New Orleans: The Saints select Florida State's Jordan Travis in the fifth round of this 2024 NFL mock draft.
• Jordan Travis reunites with Keon Coleman: Coleman enjoys getting physical with cornerbacks, as he constantly catches passes through contact.
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As the 2024 NFL Draft nears, our seven-round team mock draft series continues with the New Orleans Saints.
Round 1, Pick 14: T Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
Fuaga is the kind of ass-kicker every NFL team wants in the trenches. He has a finisher’s mentality in the run game and takes pride in pushing defenders against their will. In pass protection, his stride length is limited but his foot speed makes up for it. He has a good, wide base to neutralize bull rushes quickly. His hands are consistently up and in the right position to strike with power at any moment. He also possesses the hand quickness to hand fight yet protect his chest. He can be a bit overzealous to make contact in pass protection, which can lead to a vulnerability to swipes and chops. But that patience did improve in 2023.
Round 2, Pick 45: WR Keon Coleman, Florida State
Coleman originally committed to Michigan State as a two-sport athlete before transferring to Florida State in 2023. His evaluation is a test of how much scouts prefer contested-catch receivers to athletic separators. He is an impressive 6-foot-4 and 215-pound athlete who enjoys getting physical with cornerbacks, as he constantly catches passes through contact. While that yields jaw-dropping feats of strength, his lack of separation ability is concerning for the next level — there just aren't a lot of guys who make a living as consistent contested-catch receivers. The ones that do are often some of the best receivers in the league.
Round 5, Pick 150: DI Leonard Taylor III, Miami (FL)
Taylor is built like a super-sized linebacker in the middle, at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds. His best pass-rush moves come from a good first step and violent hands. However, his strike placement is inconsistent. When he doesn't win by shooting a gap or with a good first step, he can struggle to disengage from blocks. He also has a bad tendency to pop out of his stance and get outleveraged. Taylor is a strong player in run defense, but his lack of consistent leverage allows him to be controlled too easily. Though he is explosive on some reps, he is not necessarily twitched-up when it comes to change of direction, block shedding and pursuit.
Round 5, Pick 168: CB Kamal Hadden, Tennessee
Hadden has been on a winding college football journey, starting as a zero-star recruit who had to go to community college. However, he showed resilience when roadblocks came up, which helped him earn a shot at the NFL. His size-speed combination is alluring. When in control, he is agile, smooth, sticky and can run with vertical receivers in man coverage. He is confident in press but can also be confident in zone, always trying to manipulate space to bait a throw he can jump. His technique is still a major work in progress in press coverage, with his footwork and when tackling, but all areas did improve from 2022 to 2023.
Round 5, Pick 170: T KT Leveston, Kansas State
Leveston was a two-year starter at left tackle at Kansas State, but his best NFL position is on the inside. That's not due to lack of length, as he has adequate weight and length for the guard position. His experience at tackle also gives him a more comfortable baseline for pass sets at guard. He is quite the mauler in the run game, and his frame allows him to generate a ton of power at contact. He is also a fighter when he gets latches onto defenders. His hands are his biggest weakness as a player right now. His hands are too low, which exposes his chest and makes him late to punch. His low hands also cause his hand placement to be too wide.
Round 5, Pick 175: QB Jordan Travis, Florida State
Travis is a good athlete who can operate an RPO and play-action offense well. His mobility is also a plus for escaping the pocket via scrambles. He is one of the smaller quarterbacks in the class, which brings natural drawbacks. His hand size is concerning when controlling the ball. He also tends to have to put his whole body into throws that require more juice. His follow-through is erratic, as he will kick his leg out like a pitcher to generate more velocity. He has good intangibles. He is accurate and poised when throwing out of structure, and he doesn't mind throwing over the middle, even if he has to be on his toes.
Round 6, Pick 190: LB Michael Barrett, Michigan
Barrett is a natural football player, but he's too small to play linebacker and not athletic enough to play safety. He projects as a potential special teams ace with some defensive responsibilities in dime situations.
Round 6, Pick 199: S Dominique Hampton, Washington
Hampton is coming off a six-year college career and started in his final two years. He's a solid tackler but failed to earn a 70.0-plus PFF coverage grade in each of the past two seasons.
Round 7, Pick 239: WR Bub Means, Pittsburgh
Means is a vertical receiver who has a good physical profile for a streamlined role (fast, strong, big catch radius for contested opportunities deep). He can be a depth WR4/5 for a team that likes to push the ball vertically.
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