At this point last year the Saints were coming off of three straight 7-9 seasons that had some thinking it would be time to shake up the organization if things remained the same in 2017.
Things didn’t remain the same. The Saints went 11-5, won the NFC South and won a playoff game for the first time since 2012 thanks in part to a draft class that featured the offensive and defensive rookies of the year. That puts the Saints in different circumstances than they were in a year ago, but General Manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday that the approach to the draft will remain more or less the same.
“I wouldn’t say that that’s a big variable at all,” Loomis said. “Maybe something small, but I would not say that. I think our approach is the same. We’re looking for players that we have a vision for that can help us both in the short-term and the long-term. We look for the best players we can get for the Saints and I wouldn’t say that’s a big consideration. Look, the impact is that we’re picking later. But I wouldn’t say anything else is different.”
The approach is the same, but Loomis points out the “opportunity is different” after having five picks in the first three rounds last year. They have two of the first 91 picks this time around, so they’ll be shooting for the same quality with lesser quantity.