“This is not this maniacal activity,” Loomis said. “Unless someone calls and wants a deal, you can’t say there’s a lot of conversation.”
Loomis said the Saints are happy with their current position with first and second round selections (40th).
“We have a group of players who we think have a good chance of making it,” Loomis said. We’ve got formulas[of Assistant General Manager Jeff Ireland]…like, at 29, he’s happy with the players he gets at 40. After that it’s a little more random.”
NFL.com lists a defensive line, tight end and offensive line as the top three teams need, but Loomis doesn’t think the Saints have a “must-have” position to enter Thursday. yeah.
“I think there are a few things that we would like to have. I’m not sure I’d call any of them must-haves,” he said. I think we’ve done a pretty good job of taking a lot of and turning them into wants.”
Loomis said there are many factors involved when it comes to rating a particular player. Athletic ability is just one piece for him in a larger puzzle.
“We’re looking for the best player we can get, the best footballer we can get,” Loomis said. “It involves a lot of things… it’s the composition of the player, whether he fits our culture, whether he’s great in our locker, whether he has leadership skills, it’s not just physical ability. It’s all about
“In terms of who we’re drafting, it’s, ‘Man, let’s get someone we love.’ It may be in the position we need, and I hope it will be, but it may be in the position we already have as a strength.”
Loomis said there are a handful of players the Saints have taken off the board due to character issues or health issues.
New Orleans lost three starters along its defensive line due to free agency. The team made moves to counter these losses, but a mock draft around the NFL media nailed the Saints with a defensive line prospect. NFL.com’s Charles Davis named Michigan’s Magi his Smith to the Saints, while Pro Football’s Brad his Spielberger named Clemson’s Bryan Breath to the Saints.
Loomis declined to elaborate on the positions the Saints are targeting, and said he has never taken a position group off the draft board regardless of in-house talent.
“There’s nothing wrong with building strengths,” Loomis said.
Building depth is no problem either. The Saints have dealt with a number of injuries at many positions over the past few seasons.
“It’s like being in college,” Loomis said. “You have an exam the next day and you’ve studied for 40 hours and you’re like, ‘Oh, she’s got to study for five hours.’ It never feels like it’s enough.”
As for the depth of the draft itself, Loomis said he finds groups of tight ends to be deeper than normal, as are groups of cornerbacks and quarterbacks.
Loomis said a large part of his work is not just for this season, but for seasons to come, emphasizing the imperative to look at least three years ahead.
“It will take three years from now to decide if it was a good draft or a bad draft,” Loomis said. We want them to be All-Pro and Pro Bowl players, but ultimately it depends on whether they helped us win.” ”
Since Loomis put his name on the cards at New York City’s Omni Park Central Hotel for the Seahawks, the NFL Draft’s approach from organizations and media coverage has changed dramatically. , nearly 40 years later, and still the same.
“Once that’s done…and you’re on the phone with the player you’re taking,” Loomis said. “Feeling the excitement, making someone’s dream come true, getting excited about the player they got, that’s my favorite part.”
The 2023 NFL Draft runs from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29, with the first round kicking off at 7 p.m. CST from Kansas City.