As we wind down closer and get closer to the 2022 NFL draft at the end of the month, the New Orleans Saints are starting to conduct their official top-30 visits. These meetings are even more important than in most years, as the team currently holds two picks in the first round at Nos. 16 and 19.
During these visits at the team facility, the Saints will meet with prospects and put them through a gauntlet of workouts, medical exams, and in-depth interviews discussing stuff on and off the field. A lot of these guys will be players that the Saints are interested in, but teams do sometimes bring in prospects that they suspect other teams may like to learn about them. They could also throw in a smokescreen to throw other teams off. NFL draft season is one big chess game, so take everything with a grain of salt.
Here are all of the names we’ve seen so far:
WR Jameson Williams, Alabama
Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Reported by: Nick Underhill, NewOrleans.Football. Williams has been nursing his ACL injury, but when healthy his talent is undoubted. Saints fans would surely be excited to see him drop and fall into the laps of the team at 16 or 19.
WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas
AP Photo/Michael Woods
Reported by: Nick Underhill, NewOrleans.Football. Another top receiver being talked about a lot is visiting with the team. Burks is big and quick, a versatile weapon that could be used more creatively than any Saints wide receiver in a while.
WR Skyy Moore, Western Michigan
Junfu Han-Detroit Free Press/Imagn Content Services, LLC
Reported by Nick Underhill, NewOrleans.Football. Moore is a very interesting wide receiver when compared to the rest of the top of the class. He’s smaller and faster than what the Saints usually draft, but the team could be looking to switch things up.
RB Dameon Pierce, Florida
Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Reported by: Greg Auman, The Athletic. Pierce would be a very good complimentary back to share the backfield with Alvin Kamara. He should also be available towards the middle of the draft, which is the most logical spot for the Saints to take a running back.
DL Eric Johnson, Missouri State
Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
Reported by: Greg Auman, The Athletic. Johnson is probably a newer name to most Saints fans. He is the lone FCS visit to this point, and is likely a follow up to something they liked from him at the Senior Bowl. This should be a name to watch through the process.
CB Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson
JOSH MORGAN/Staff-USA TODAY NETWORK
Reported by Ian Rapoport, NFL Network. Cornerback is not really a need for the Saints, but Booth is a highly talented player. Could be a case of the team meeting with someone that could be going to a rival, but could just be them doing their due diligence with a good football player.
QB Sam Howell, North Carolina
AP Photo/Butch Dill
Reported by Mike Garafolo, NFL Network. Quarterback is not at all out of the question in the first round, and Sam Howell is one of the most intriguing names at the position. He has played a lot of college ball and brings a live arm with mobility.
QB Matt Corral, Ole Miss
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Corral is another first-round quarterback prospect, and the Saints could be considering him with either of their top draft picks. It took a while for Corral to win a starting job but he’s got a live arm and could turn into a better pro than college player.
