2021 NFL Mock Draft: Cowboys fix defense, Justin Fields slides to Broncos

28. New Orleans Saints: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

This coming season will be weird for the New Orleans Saints. For the first time since 2006, they won’t have Drew Brees starting under center for them as the best quarterback in franchise history ended up calling it a career following the 2020 campaign. With him gone, New Orleans finds itself in an interesting spot.

They already had to do a lot of work just to get out of the red in the salary cap which also hurt the strength of their roster. They’re also set to have Taysom Hill (the ultimate gadget player who signed a fake extension this offseason) compete with Jameis Winston for the starting job. Either way, the Saints will find themselves starting a player with a stronger arm than what Brees had at the end but without his football mind.

As for the rest of their roster, they could go a couple of ways here. They do need a cornerback but there’s also a strong need at wide receiver — especially after they released Emmanuel Sanders. They elect to go that route with this pick, taking Kadarius Toney out of Florida.

Toney could end up being another great weapon for the Saints considering he’s a utility player who can throw the ball and has great speed. As a wideout, he’s still raw since he was primarily a receiver for just one full season but he was exceptional in that campaign.