There's no general consensus on who the New Orleans Saints will pick in the first round of the NFL draft, and part of that is because there's no consensus on who will be available. NFL media analyst Charles Davis mocked Will Campbell to New Orleans, a move you won't see often, in his 2.0 mock draft.
The selection is interesting for a couple of reasons, mainly who is still on the board. Even with Tetairoa McMillan and Jalon Walker still available, Davis went with Campbell. Why? "The Saints have plenty of holes to plug, but new head coach Kellen Moore should be eager to help QB Derek Carr stay protected," Davis wrote.
Choosing to fortify the trenches isn't a bad choice, but it does invite the question of where Campbell play. You're not drafting Campbell ninth overall to sit on the bench, so he will start somewhere on the offensive line as a rookie. He is notably listed as an offensive lineman opposed to offensive tackle like Armand Membou.
Campbell's arm length has been the most discussed aspect of draft profile and has led some to view him as a guard. The mock draft was written prior to Campbell's new arm length at LSU's pro day. If Campbell is viewed as a guard, he'll slot in at left guard next to Taliese Fuaga. The signing of Dillon Radunz wouldn't stop that.
Viewing Campbell as a Day 1 starter at tackle would result in New Orleans having to either bench or move one of their tackles to guard. Fuaga had a strong rookie season and should have the luxury of staying on the outside. You could even move Fuaga to his natural position of right tackle and keep Campbell at left tackle.
This would put all the pressure on Trevor Penning. Penning would either be thrusted into a competition in camp, moved to guard, benched or be playing for his job in 2025. Certainly, he wouldn't want to be in any of these positions.
The selection of Campbell in the first round would have a ripple effect along the offensive line, and would spark a lot of intrigue around the Saints plans in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Charles Davis goes with a rare Saints pick in his latest mock draft
