The Jacksonville Jaguars trading up for Travis Hunter may have ripped away a dream scenario for the New Orleans Saints, though it gave them a great consolation prize. The Saints landing Kelvin Banks Jr. potentially gives them their left tackle of the future in the first round, but Mason Graham was the player many thought was the best case scenario for New Orleans. Graham may have been chosen by the Cleveland Browns four picks ahead of the Saints, but he was very much in reach.
Hunter was going to be the second overall pick. It was just a matter of who drafted him. The Jaguars traded up with the Browns to take Hunter, but what if that didn’t happen? Instead of Graham going fifth overall, WGNO’s Jon Sokoloff, like many, believes Jacksonville would have picked Ashton Jeanty.
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As a result, the Las Vegas Raiders would have had to pivot. The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reports Banks would have been the Raiders’ pick if Jeanty was off the board. That would have taken the Saints’ eventual pick off the board. After Las Vegas, the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers would’ve been the only teams standing in the way between the Saints and Graham. It’s unclear if the Jets would have remained steadfast in their dedication to the offensive trenches, but the Panthers seemed to prioritize Bryce Young’s supporting cast over defensive players.
It’s purely speculative, but it is far from far-fetched. In this scenario, the Saints would have had at least Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams available. There is a good chance Graham would have been on the board too if the Browns didn’t trade back and take him fifth overall.
The NFL draft is about the luck of the draw. 32 picks in every round, and you have to hope your guy falls to you. Banks fell to the Saints in the first round, but only because of a blockbuster trade at the top of the draft.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Jaguars’ Travis Hunter trade had big domino effect for Saints, Raiders