Photos from day 1 for the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft in Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday, April 28, 2022.
XXXXXX Red Carpet Walk on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Joe Buglewicz/AP Images for NFL)
Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams walks to the red carpet before the first round of the NFL football draft Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong )
XXXXXX Red Carpet Walk on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Joe Buglewicz/AP Images for NFL)
Florida State defensive end Jermaine Johnson II walks to the red carpet before the first round of the NFL football draft Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
XXXXXX Red Carpet Walk on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Joe Buglewicz/AP Images for NFL)
XXXXXX Red Carpet Walk on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Joe Buglewicz/AP Images for NFL)
Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis poses on the red carpet before the first round of the NFL football draft Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong )
XXXXXX Red Carpet Walk on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Joe Buglewicz/AP Images for NFL)
XXXXXX Red Carpet Walk on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Joe Buglewicz/AP Images for NFL)
XXXXXX Red Carpet Walk on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Joe Buglewicz/AP Images for NFL)
Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal walks to the red carpet before the first round of the NFL football draft Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Cincinnati defensive back Sauce Gardner poses for the camera as he rides to the red carpet before the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Kevin Sabitus/NFL)
XXXXXX Red Carpet Walk on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Joe Buglewicz/AP Images for NFL)
Michigan defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson walks the red carpet with his girlfriend before the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Kevin Sabitus/NFL)
Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave arrives at the red carpet before the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Kevin Sabitus/NFL)
Liberty quarterback Malik Willis walks to the red carpet before the first round of the NFL football draft Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral poses on the red carpet with his parents Peter, right, and Liz before the first round of the NFL football draft Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong )
North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu walks the red carpet before first round of the NFL football draft Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong )
General view of the 2022 NFL Draft logo before the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Doug Benc)
Football fans walks through Caesars Palace before the first round of the NFL football draft Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Season ticket holders of each team walk the red carpet before the first round of the NFL football draft Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong )
Showgirls take selfies at The Fountains of Bellagio before the first round of the NFL football draft Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
Fans cheer during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
NFL Draft Inner Circle logo during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
NFL Network host Rich Eisen on stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
NFL Network host Rich Eisen (left) talks with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
Arizona Cardinals swag during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
A New York Jets fan during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of NFL Network set during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of NFL Network set during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
General view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
The draft inner circle awaits guests before the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, Apr. 28, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Mikey Owens/NFL)
A member of the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard and the U.S. Army Old Guard Fire & Drum Corps during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
NFL Network hosts Kimmi Chex (left) and Colleen Wolfe back stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
The Bellagio building is pictured during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Kevin Sabitus/NFL)
Jenny Arata, hometown of Kyiv Ukraine, during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
Cincinnati defensive back Sauce Gardner, North Carolina State offensive lineman Ickey Ekwonu, Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean, Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis, Mississippi State offensive lineman Charles Cross, and Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral stand on stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Kevin Sabitus/NFL)
The red carpet is pictured during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Kevin Sabitus/NFL)
A general view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
A general view of the draft stage during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL)
As we approach the 2023 NFL Draft on April 27-29, NewOrleansSaints.com takes a look at the history of their overall pick positions and the players it brought into the league. The Saints will have picks in Round 1 (29th overall), Round 2 (40th), Round 3 (71st), Round 4 (115th), Round 5 (146th and 165th), and Round 7 (227th and 257th).
Over the last ten drafts, wide receivers have been selected four times with the 40th overall pick, while linebackers and defensive backs have been selected twice each. The Saints have selected 40th overall five times in franchise history. They drafted DB Tracey Porter in 2008, FS Josh Bullocks in 2005, TE Cameron Cleeland in 1998, DB Je'Rod Cherry in 1996, and WR Lonzell Hill in 1987.
YEAR-BY-YEAR BREAKDOWN OF 40TH PICK:
2022: Seattle Seahawks, LB Boye Mafe, Minnesota
2021: Atlanta Falcons, DB – Richie Grant, Central Florida
2020: Houston Texans, DT – Ross Blacklock, TCU
2019: Oakland Raiders, DB – Trayvon Mullen, Clemson
2018: Denver Broncos, WR – Courtland Sutton, Southern Methodist (1x Pro Bowl selection)
2017: Carolina Panthers, WR – Curtis Samuel, Ohio State
2016: New York Giants, WR – Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma (PFWA All-Rookie Team)
2015: Tennessee Titans, WR – Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri
2014: Detroit Lions, LB – Kyle Van Noy, BYU (Super Bowl LI and LIII Champion)
2013: San Francisco 49ers, DE – Tank Carradine, Florida State
40 TO THE 504:
The Saints are no stranger to pick No. 40, but it has been a few years since they found themselves in this slot. The last time New Orleans made a selection at 40th overall was 2008, where they chose DB Tracey Porter.
