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 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 10 drafts, defensive backs have been selected three times and defensive tackles and offensive linemen have been selected twice each at No. 71. The Saints have selected 71st twice in franchise history. They drafted defensive end Joel Smeenge in 1990, and tight end Hoby Brenner in 1981.
YEAR-BY-YEAR BREAKDOWN OF 71ST PICK:
2022: Chicago Bears, WR Velus Jones Jr., Tennessee
2021: New York Giants, DB Aaron Robinson, Central Florida
2020: Baltimore Ravens, DT Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
2019: Denver Broncos, DT Dre'Mont Jones, Ohio State
2018: Denver Broncos, RB Royce Freeman, Oregon
2017: Los Angeles Chargers, G Dan Feeney, Indiana (PFWA All-Rookie Team)
2016: New York Giants, DB Darian Thompson, Boise State
2015: Chicago Bears, C Hroniss Grasu, Oregon
2014: Cleveland Browns, LB Christian Kirksey, Iowa
2013: St. Louis Rams, DB T.J. McDonald, Southern California
71 TO THE 504:
The Saints are no stranger to pick No. 71, but it has been a few years since they found themselves in this slot. The last time New Orleans made a selection at 71st overall was 1990, where they chose defensive end Joey Smeenge.
