Back to the New Orleans Saints Newsfeed

How each draft pick will contribute to the 2021 Saints

First round draft pick Payton Turner came as a bit of a surprise to many Saints fans, as a lot of us did not expect him to be the team’s top pick. With the departure of Trey Hendrickson, and with Marcus Davenport struggling to stay on the field, it makes sense to draft a defensive end, and it’s a pretty sure thing that Turner will play quite a lot in 2021.

The Houston Cougar recorded 5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in just five games in 2020, a vast improvement from his 2019 campaign. Turner is a big defensive end at 6’6” and 270 pounds, and is a stellar run defender who could see plenty of action on 1st and 2nd downs in rotation with Davenport.