The New Orleans Saints stayed true to prototype and bolstered their trenches by selecting the Houston defensive end Payton Turner with the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Initially unpopular (and unpredicted) among Saints fans, the 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds prospect is exactly the type of player New Orleans has a history of selecting in the first round.
The decision to select Turner is also highly indicative of a hesitance to stray from prototype in a year lacking in film and proper measurables. Moreover, the team’s first selection in every draft since 2015 has either been a defensive or offensive lineman; this year proved no different.