Grading and ranking every team’s 2025 draft class

Grade: A-

Draft picks:

Notable free-agent signings:

Analysis: 

New Orleans hasn’t made the playoffs since Drew Brees retired following the 2020 season, putting heat on the team’s longtime general manager. External heat, I should say, as Saints owner Gayle Benson provided a strong vote of confidence in November.

“It may not be what the fans want to hear, but as far as firing Mickey Loomis, that’s ridiculous,” Benson told Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. “(He) does a great job.“

Loomis certainly earned his keep with this haul. In a draft class that supplied the league with a much-needed influx of talented offensive tackles, none looked better than Kelvin Banks Jr. And Jonas Sanker significantly exceeded expectations as a late-third-round pick who started the final 16 games of the season, becoming a linchpin in the back end of Brandon Staley’s defense. Fourth-rounders Quincy Riley and Danny Stutsman delivered Year 1 returns on investment, too.

But the player who could take this group over the top — the one who ultimately could make this No. 3 ranking too low — is Tyler Shough. After an injury-riddled college career that spanned seven years and three schools, the quarterback entered the league with significant questions about his long-term upside. He played pretty darn well as a 26-year-old rookie, though, infusing life into what had been a dead Saints team (SEE: 1-7 start under Spencer Rattler, 5-4 finish under Shough). Does New Orleans have its Brees replacement? We’ll see how Shough progresses in Year 2, but it won’t be shocking if he helps the Saints end that aforementioned playoff drought.