Keeping an eye on the Saints.
The Philadelphia Eagles are currently set to make two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. In addition to their own selection, they’re due a first from the New Orleans Saints thanks to a trade leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft. With help from Tankathon, we’re going to keep track of these picks on a weekly basis here at BGN.
SAINTS PICK
CURRENTLY: No. 10
WEEK 17: The Saints advanced to 7-9 with a road win over the Philadelphia Eagles. With one week left to play, their pick owed to Philly is at No. 10 in the 2023 NFL Draft order. Had the Saints lost, their slot would still be at No. 10 since they would lose the strength of schedule tiebreaker to the Atlanta Falcons (No. 7), the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 8), and the Carolina Panthers (No. 9). But the loss would’ve allowed the Eagles to get a pick as high as No. 6. Now the Eagles can only get a pick as favorable as No. 10 with the Saints losing to the Panthers in Week 18. If the Saints win that game, the Eagles could receive a pick that is as low as No. 14. The Eagles will gladly still take that pick from the original trade that was made. But it’s disappointing that a selection that looked like it could be a top five pick but not even be in the top 10 now. At least the Bucs won and officially clinched the NFC South to prevent any chance of New Orleans winning the division.
WEEK 16: The Saints advanced to 6-9 with a road win over the Cleveland Browns. The Saints won by a touchdown despite getting outgained, being even in turnover margin, and Andy Dalton having a 44.3 passer rating. Annoying. The Saints’ win kept their very slim playoff hopes alive. New Orleans can clinch the NFC South if they win out (at PHI, vs. CAR) and the Bucs lose their final two games (vs. CAR, at ATL). The Eagles can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture AND eliminate the Saints from postseason contention by beating the Saints at The Linc in Week 17. So, a fairly important game. By the way, the highest the Saints pick can be in theory now is No. 3 since Houston and Chicago can’t win enough to get below the selection New Orleans owes to Philly.
WEEK 15: The Saints advanced to 5-9 with a home win over the Atlanta Falcons. New Orleans jumped out to a 14-point lead and ultimately won by a field goal margin. The Saints entered Week 15 with a chance of being officially eliminated from playoff contention. Instead, they won and all of their division rivals lost. Those results still have the Saints’ chances of making the postseason at only 2%, per FiveThirtyEight. Still, they’re not dead yet. That will change if they lose to the Cleveland Browns on the road in Week 16 AND the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Arizona Cardinals on the road. The Saints are three-point underdogs in their matchup while the Bucs are four-point favorites in theirs. The Eagles will be rooting for the Bucs to lock up the NFC South.
WEEK 14: No change in the Saints’ position in the 2023 NFL Draft order while New Orleans was on their bye. Dennis Allen announced that Andy Dalton will remain the team’s starter. The Saints are the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15. They staged a comeback to beat the Dirty Birds earlier this year. We’ll see if Desmond Ridder can lead the Falcons to victory in his first NFL start.
WEEK 13: The Saints dropped to 4-9 with a road loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It looked like New Orleans was going to pull off an upset considering they kicked a field goal to go up by 13 points with 8:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. But Tom Brady, who can truly never be counted out unless Brandon Graham is around to stop him, led the Bucs to a last-second win. This Bucs win was very big for the Birds. Had the Saints won, their playoff chances would’ve increased to 28%. With the loss instead, however, their chances dropped to 0.6%. By beating them twice this year, the Bucs established a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Saints when it comes to the NFC South outlook. The Saints are currently sending top five pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Eagles. The same Eagles who are 11-1 after coming off an impressive Week 13 win. The vibes are certainly good in Philly.
WEEK 12: The Saints dropped to 4-8 with a road loss to the San Francisco 49ers. New Orleans only allowed 13 points but failed to score at all. In fairness to them, DeMeco Ryans’ defense has been really good lately; the 49ers have now held opponents scoreless in the second half for four straight weeks. Still, the Saints’ offense isn’t very inspiring. This loss combined with a Carolina Panthers win actually dropped the Saints to dead last in the NFC South. The good news for the Saints, however, is that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons also lost. So, they still have a path to winning their division. Those hopes will be dashed if the Saints lose their next game, a road matchup on Monday Night Football against the aforementioned Bucs. Tom Brady already beat them earlier this year so Tampa winning would give them the head-to-head tiebreaker in the standings. From an Eagles perspective, it’s a must-lose game for the Saints.
WEEK 11: The Saints advanced to 4-7 with a home win over the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams stink and they lost Matthew Stafford in the third quarter due to a concussion. His injury forced Bryce Perkins (who?), a 2020 UDFA quarterback who had never played a snap, into his first NFL action. Unsurprisingly, Perkins was not able to lead a comeback. Andy Dalton posted strong numbers for the Saints, completing 20 of his 25 attempts for 260 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, and a 149.6 passer rating. Unfortunately for the Birds, this Saints win dropped them from No. 4 to No. 10 in the 2023 NFL Draft order. The good news is that New Orleans has a tougher matchup next week with a road game against the San Francisco 49ers.
WEEK 10: The Saints dropped to 3-7 with a road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Saints entered the game as one-point underdogs and got behind 10 to 0 before tying it up and then going down 10 points once again for a final score of 20 to 10. Andy Dalton threw two picks and the Saints got outgained by nearly 200 yards (merely 193 instead). Really bad result for New Orleans that cements their status as one of the very worst teams in the league. Making matters worse for the Saints is that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won another game to put them first in the NFC South at 5-5. The Bucs figuring things out means the Saints can’t rely on the division being a total disgrace to win it. Next up for the Saints is a home game against the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately for the Eagles, that’s a winnable game for the Saints since the Rams are so bad. But, hey, so are the Saints.
WEEK 9: The Saints dropped to 3-6 with a home loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Saints entered the game as 2.5-point underdogs … and got beat comfortably by a final score of 27 to 13. The Saints’ only touchdown came with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, so, kind of a garbage time score. The Eagles shoudl be happy to not only see the Saints lose but also the Buccaneers win to help prevent New Orleans from having a better chance at winning the NFC South. Next up for the Saints is a road game against the Steelers with Pittsburgh coming off a bye. The Stillers are currently ahead of the Saints in the draft order at No. 4 so it would be really nice to see them pull off an upset over New Orleans.
WEEK 8: The Saints advanced to 3-5 with a home win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The Saints entered the game as 1.5-point underdogs … and yet proceeded to blow out their opponent by a final score of 24 to 0. Thanks for nothing, Josh McDaniels. Had the Saints lost, the pick they owe to the Eagles would currently be at No. 4 overall. Instead, it’s just inside the top 10 at No. 9. More bad news for the Birds: the Buccaneers and Falcons both lost in Week 8, increasing the Saints’ chances of winning a very bad NFC South. New Orleans is only one game behind Atlanta at 4-4 and the Saints currently own the tiebreaker. The good news for the Eagles is that the Saints are at risk of dropping to 3-6 with a home game against the Baltimore Ravens up next. Lamar Jackson better not mess this up.
WEEK 7: The Saints dropped to 2-5 with a road loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night Football. It was looking like an even matchup early on with the two teams tied at 14 points late in the second quarter. But then Andy Dalton threw pick sixes on back-to-back drives to give the Cardinals a 28 to 14 lead. Pretty hard to come back from that. The Saints now rank 14th out of 16 teams in the NFC playoff picture. Only the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers are worse off. Those two teams, along with the Las Vegas Raiders, are also ahead of them in the 2023 NFL Draft order. With the Saints hosting the Raiders in Week 8, that’s a big game for the Eagles’ rooting interest. Really need a Raiders win in that spot to push New Orleans further up the order.
WEEK 6: The Saints dropped to 2-4 with a home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. New Orleans had a big day on the ground with 34 rushes for 228 yards (6.7 average) but Andy Dalton did not exactly have their passing game cooking (77.9 passer rating). The Saints’ defense, meanwhile, allowed Joe Burrow to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Cincy rallied from a 9-point deficit to steal the win in the Superdome. The Saints now currently rank 11th in the NFC playoff picture. It’s not impossible that they could still push for a wild card spot … or even the NFC South title … given the weak nature of the conference. In the meantime, the Eagles will enjoy their slow start. New Orleans does have some winnable games coming up. They will travel to play the Arizona Cardinals, who are getting DeAndre Hopkins back from suspension, on Thursday Night Football in Week 7. Then they will host the Las Vegas Raiders after that.
WEEK 5: The Saints advanced to 2-3 with a home win over a frisky Seattle Seahawks team. It was a back-and-forth affair with six lead changes. New Orleans was powered to victory by … an all-time Taysom Hill rushing performance. The Saints’ Swiss army knife ran nine times for 112 yards (12.4 average!) and three touchdowns. Probably not the most sustainable source of offense but, hey, it was a big win for the Saints as they try to stay afloat in a wide open NFC playoff picture. New Orleans currently ranks both ninth in the conference … and ninth in the 2023 NFL Draft order. The Eagles will hope that the Cincinnati Bengals find a way to drop the Saints to 2-4 next weekend.
WEEK 4: The Saints dropped to 1-3 with a loss to the Vikings in London. New Orleans had a chance to send the game into overtime with a 61-yard field goal attempt … but Will Lutz’s kick bounced off the crossbar and the upright. No good! The Eagles benefited from a double doink once again. The loss means the Saints are currently projected to send a very favorable pick to the Eagles. Will New Orleans bounce back? They should benefit if they can get healthier; they’re currently dealing with a number of significant injury issues. The Saints have a winnable game up next as they host the Seahawks. Then again, Seattle has won two games thus far and might not be as easily beatable as expected.
WEEK 3: The Saints lost to the PANTHERS. The Panthers, who might have the first head coach to be fired this season. Jameis Winston threw two picks (and fumbled twice, neither which of were lost) in the eight-point defeat. If not for the Atlanta Falcons being all-time chokers, the Saints would be 0-3 right now. They would be keeping the Las Vegas Raiders company as the only winless teams. The Eagles sure aren’t upset to see the Saints struggle. While there’s plenty of season left for things to change, the Birds are currently on a path where they have the potential to go on a run AND receive a top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft thanks to New Orleans. Best of both worlds. Next up for the Saints is a “home” game actually being hosted in London against the Vikings. Minnesota opened as 2.5-point “road” favorites. SKOL!
WEEK 2: The Eagles are happy to see that the Saints lost to the Buccaneers. Any Saints loss is good news for the Birds. But a division loss to the team that’s favored to win the NFC South is even better. Jameis Winston sure didn’t play well against Tampa’s defense, throwing three picks and taking six sacks. Not very encouraging for his outlook.
WEEK 1: The Saints entered their season opener as five-point road favorites against an uninspiring Atlanta Falcons squad. Things were looking rough for New Orleans when they trailed by a score of 26 to 10 with 12:41 left in the fourth quarter. But no team snatches defeat from the jaws of victory quite like the Dirty Birds do. The Falcons surrendered two touchdowns and the go-ahead field goal on their final three defensive drives to ultimately lose by one point. On one hand, this performance isn’t very encouraging for the Saints’ outlook. Despite winning the turnover battle, they needed a late comeback to beat a bad team. On the other hand, it’s annoying that the Falcons weren’t able to seal the deal.
EAGLES PICK
CURRENTLY: No. 31
WEEK 17: The Eagles are 13-3 after losing to the New Orleans Saints. Really bad loss. Unless they get some unlikely help, the Birds now must beat or tie the New York Giants in Week 18 to officially clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture.
WEEK 16: The Eagles are 13-2 after losing to the Dallas Cowboys despite largely outplaying their opponent. The Birds need just one more win from their final two regular season games to clinch the No. 1 seed.
WEEK 15: The Eagles are 13-1 after beating the Chicago Bears. With the Birds one win away from clinching the No. 1 seed, they’re close to guaranteeing a pick range from 24 to 31.
WEEK 14: The Eagles are 12-1 after dominating the New York Giants. By officially clinching a playoff spot, Philly’s pick will officially be somewhere in the range from 18 to 31.
WEEK 13: The Eagles are 11-1 after bullying the Tennessee Titans.
WEEK 12: The Eagles are 10-1 after beating the Green Bay Packers.
WEEK 11: The Eagles are 9-1 after a narrow, ugly win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Birds need to play a lot better moving forward … but they’ll certainly take this result over dropping two straight games.
WEEK 10: The Eagles are 8-1 after a frustrating and disappointing loss to the Washington Commanders.
WEEK 9: The Eagles are 8-0 after beating the Houston Texans.
WEEK 8: The Eagles are 7-0 after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers. Philly played their most complete game of the season thus far. Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown had big games while the defense forced multiple turnovers. The Eagles should be able to keep the good times rolling considering how there are no obvious threats on their schedule in the near future.
WEEK 7: The Eagles are on their bye. They’ll return to host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8.
WEEK 6: The Eagles are 6-0 after beating the Dallas Cowboys. Things looked a little dicey when their NFC East rivals cut a 20-point lead down to three … but the Birds ultimately found a way to close it out. The Eagles are now in a really strong position to push for the No. 1 seed. They certainly have a path to staying undefeated when they return from their Week 7 bye.
WEEK 5: The Eagles are 5-0 after beating the Arizona Cardinals. They didn’t score any style points with this victory but the name of the game is survive and advance. If they beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, everyone will be feeling pretty good about the Birds entering their Week 7 bye.
WEEK 4: The Eagles are 4-0 after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars. As the NFL’s only remaining undefeated team, they’re slotted for the final pick in the first round, which is 31 instead of 32 this year (as explained below). It would really be something if the Birds were able to win the Super Bowl AND add more talented youth to their roster.
WEEK 3: The Eagles are 3-0 after beating the Washington Commanders. The Birds are currently 32nd in the 2023 NFL Draft order as shown by Tankathon. (Of course, that’s mostly meaningless since playoff outcomes impacts the picks from No. 19 through No. 32.) The Dolphins are ahead of Philly at 31st. With Miami required to forfeit their first-round pick this year due to tampering charges, however, the Eagles would actually pick 31st. So, that would be a nice extra bonus to winning the Super Bowl this year.
WEEK 2: The Eagles are 2-0 after beating the Minnesota Vikings. They looked like real Super Bowl contenders in the process.
WEEK 1: The Eagles are 1-0 after holding on to beat the Detroit Lions. The win was a little too close for comfort but they’ll take it.
Click here for a complete list of Eagles picks in the 2023 NFL Draft and beyond.
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