NEW ORLEANS, La. —Normally, I wait until the annual Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., to unveil my first mock draft, but after the Saints lost to the Carolina Panthers 44-38 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday, I figured why wait.
After watching the Saints struggle in all phases of the game this season, it’s hard to put a finger on what position they’ll target in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Because of the Saints defensive woes this season — coupled with the age and high salaries of Will Smith, Jon Vilma and Sederick Ellis, all of whom I expect to be gone in 2013 — I believe that the Saints will shake-up the defensive front seven, using their first-round pick to find a playmaker who can get the QB will be priority No.1.