The New Orleans Saints presently hold the 14th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft following a 9-8 campaign. It’s a position where New Orleans may select a top prospect to help with one of the team’s most pressing concerns. Additionally, the Saints have selected at this location in the past.
Three times in the franchise’s history, New Orleans has selected 14th overall in the draft. The player the Saints will select at No. 14 this year should thrill supporters based on the last three selections. Let’s examine the previous three 14th-overall selections made by the team.
3. Marcus Davenport, DE; 14th overall in the 2018 Draft
The last time the Saints selected a player with the 14th overall choice in the draft was Marcus Davenport, a defensive end, in 2018. While Davenport did not end up being a mainstay of the New Orleans Saints, he did enjoy a successful rookie season with the team. He was a member of the Saints for five seasons, starting thirty-two of his sixty-seven games. He has 21.5 sacks, 142 tackles, 25 for a loss, and seven forced fumbles in those games.
He signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023, and he currently plays for the Detroit Lions.
2. Database Malcolm Jenkins, the 2009 Draft’s fourteenth pick
The most well-known person on the list is Malcolm Jenkins, who has achieved the kind of success many draft selections aspire to. He was chosen in the 2009 Draft and played well in the secondary for the Saints for his first five seasons. He joined with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014 as a free agent, and he had six successful seasons there. But for his final two seasons in the league, he went back to New Orleans.
He played in 199 games overall in his 13 years, starting 191 of them. In addition to winning two Super Bowls, he made three Pro Bowls and was named to an All-Pro team.
First choice in the 1990 Draft (DE Renaldo Turnbull), 14th overall
In the 1990 NFL Draft, Renaldo Turnbull was chosen with the 14th overall pick—the first in franchise history. Playing his final season with the Carolina Panthers, he was a member of the team for seven years. He played 120 games as a linebacker and defensive end in New Orleans, tallying 229 tackles for yards and 44.5 sacks. When he was selected to the Pro Bowl and awarded First-Team All-Pro in 1993, it was his best season.
At No. 14, all three of the selections have been on the defensive end of the ball. Many draft experts anticipate that the Saints will choose an offensive tackle in the first round of the 2024 Draft, breaking the current trend. Hopefully, the person they choose in the end will do as well as the 14th overall picks.