Dennis Allen’s Saints are closing in on another top-10 NFL draft pick

It’s incredible how much has changed for the New Orleans Saints in just a year, but unfortunately, their projected draft position for the upcoming NFL draft remains stubbornly unchanged. Following their trade of the No. 10 overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, the Saints are currently on track to make the No. 11 overall selection in the 2024 draft. If the team continues to suffer losses, their draft pick will only rise higher.

On the surface, the Saints should be able to easily climb out of this hole and shift their focus to the playoffs instead of the next draft cycle. They possess the league’s most favorable schedule and many of their upcoming opponents are dealing with significant absences. Coach Dennis Allen has assembled the coaching staff and quarterback he desired. So why do the Saints keep finding themselves on the losing end?

One can’t help but wonder if Allen will still be in charge to make the 2024 draft pick for the Saints if the team’s projected pick ends up being as high as the current standings indicate, or even higher within the top 10. General Manager Mickey Loomis selected Allen as the head coach because he believed Allen would best maintain the team’s core and keep them as a playoff contender.

Instead, the team is now on the outside looking in at the NFC playoff standings, and they have experienced significant departures of key players in free agency, such as Terron Armstead, Marcus Williams, and David Onyemata, among others. Allen has fallen short of expectations in his first 23 games as head coach. The question arises: what if he never meets those expectations?