What Are Saints’ Biggest Roster Holes? Ranking Positions of Need Ahead of 2025 Draft

Inside Black & Gold

The 2025 NFL Draft is right around the corner and the New Orleans Saints have several positions of need, but how should they be ranked? In the latest episode of the Audacy original Inside Black & Gold podcast, Saints sideline reporter Jeff Nowak is joined about by guest host Deven Johnson rank every position on the team from the least amount of need to the most, and why the positions at the top of that list should be viewed as the priority. We’ll also break down more Derek Carr takes, hear from none-too-pleased Scott Shanle on a poorly timed Carr car review and a lot more.

SEGMENT 1: More Derek Carr Takes; Scott Shanle Weighs In

… The New Orleans Saints news cycle has been quiet in the buildup to the 2025 NFL draft, at least for anyone not named Derek Carr. We kick off today’s episode with the return of Deven Johnson alongside, who drops his takes on the situation, then we’ll hear from Scott Shanle, who pulled no punches in his assessment of the situation.

SEGMENT 2: Part 1: Ranking Saints Positions of Need, Spots 14-7

… The 2025 draft is around the corner, and no team ever wants to draft for need. But what if they had to? Jeff Nowak and Deven Johnson set out to rank every position on the Saints (we’re breaking them up into 14 different spots), which would theoretically break ties if prospects had identical grades. In this segment we break down the bottom half of that list (which you can see below). The list will ultimately run from 14 to 1, with 14 representing the position of least need and 1 the most need.

**Spoilers (this is Deven’s list)

- 14: Center

- 13: Offensive tackle

- 12: Tight end

- 11: Slot corner

- 10: Inside linebacker

- 9: Free safety

- 8: Strong safety

SEGMENT 3: Part 2: Ranking Saints Positions of Need, Spots 7-1

… We broke down the positions of lesser need in the previous segment, and now onto the spots that are screaming for a new, young player in the 2025 draft. These are tough decisions, with the idea that theoretically if you ended up with an identical grade on two different players, you’d likely pick the player at the position with a higher need. You can see the breakdown below, with 7 representing the position of least need, and 1 representing the most.

**Spoilers (this is Deven’s list)

- 7: Running back

- 6: Wide receiver

- 5: Guard

- 4: Outside corner

- 3: Quarterback

- 2: Edge/OLB

- 1: Defensive tackle

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