The 2018 draft resolution that haunts the Saints to this present day

Saints defensive finish Marcus Davenport exchanged blows with working again D’Onta Foreman within the third quarter of a 10-7 Panthers win, and each gamers have been ejected.

That play will seemingly sear itself in Saints followers reminiscences because the lasting picture of one of many franchise’s worst draft choices because the notorious Ricky Williams commerce of 1999.

New Orleans moved up from twenty seventh general to 14th general within the 2018 NFL Draft to pick out Davenport by buying and selling 2018 first- and fifth-round picks in addition to its 2019 first-round decide to the Inexperienced Bay Packers. 

To place the deal in context, that very same draft the Jets, Cardinals and Payments all traded into the highest 10 of the primary spherical to draft QBs, and none traded multiple first-round decide to take action. If different groups aren’t buying and selling a number of firsts to select a QB, it hardly is smart to commerce a number of firsts for a defensive finish.

That the Saints picked Davenport over QB Lamar Jackson makes the transfer even worse.

In actual fact, the crew might have stood pat, saved its picks and nonetheless drafted Jackson to groom below ageing future Corridor of Famer Drew Brees. He ended up going thirty second general to the Ravens after they solely wanted to commerce two second-round picks and a fourth-round decide to the Eagles to maneuver up to decide on him. 

There could be much less questioning of the deal had New Orleans gained a Tremendous Bowl in 2018, which it almost did. The Saints have been the No. 1 seed within the NFC the season they drafted Davenport and have been a missed cross interference name away from going to the Tremendous Bowl. As a substitute, the Saints misplaced 26-23 in additional time to the Rams.

That bitter loss stings much more now realizing the crew hasn’t come almost as near reaching a Tremendous Bowl within the years since. The Saints’ window would nonetheless be open with Jackson at QB. As a substitute, they’re residence for the postseason for the second yr in a row.

Jackson is 45-16 in his profession as a starter and was named MVP in 2019 by the Related Press, and even amid accidents and inconsistency helped lead the Ravens to postseason but once more this season. Davenport completed the 2022 season with simply half a sack and by no means reached double digits in that stat throughout his tenure in New Orleans.