The New Orleans Saints struggled down the stretch of last season which resulted in a poor finish and a top ten pick in the NFL Draft. New Orleans holds the No. 9 pick in the first round of the draft.
With this selection, the Saints have been connected to a lot of different options. They could select cornerback Will Johnson to replace a very depleted cornerback room. New Orleans could also draft a plethora of different defensive lineman like Shemar Stewart or Mason Graham.
But they’ve been connected to Heisman hopeful running back Ashton Jeanty a lot, too. That begs the question: is Jeanty even worth a top ten pick?
A lot of people have questioned whether a running back is worth a top draft pick. Typically, there are quality running backs all the way down the draft board. Even the Saints landed Alvin Kamara in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
But Saquon Barkley was a first-round pick and he has completely changed how the position is viewed. Barkley is one of the best offensive weapons of the 21st century. Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are also two recent running backs drafted in the top of the first round. Both look like stars already.
The answer to the question isn’t as simple as you may want it to be. If the Saints see Jeanty as a generational talent, which he looks to be, he’s absolutely going to be worth a top ten pick.
But the Las Vegas Raiders could be a step ahead of the Saints here. The Raiders hold the No. 6 pick in the draft, and they’ve been heavily connected to Jeanty. Most draft experts expect Jeanty to land at pick No. 6, which further proves the point that he would be worth it for the Saints at pick No. 9.
