Tracking New Orleans Saints' official 30 visits before the 2024 NFL draft

[EliteOne]

We’re moving quickly to the start of the 2024 NFL draft, and the New Orleans Saints are already busy flying in draft prospects for official visits at the team headquarters in Metairie. These formal visits are capped at 30 for each team, and we’ll be tracking the reported meetings happening in New Orleans.There’s a big misconception about the nature of these visits. Fans see them called “Top 30 visits” and assume that teams are bringing in the 30 highest-graded prospects on their board, but that isn’t the case. These are information-gathering visits that mainly center on interviews with the general manager (Mickey Loomis), head coach (Dennis Allen), or college scouting director (Jeff Ireland). The majority of prospects being flown in either come from smaller schools, didn’t complete athletic testing at the combine or their pro day, or have various concerns to be addressed like poor production on-field or off-field behavior.So while they are noteworthy, it’s not like the Saints are choosing to draft players in the first round based on these visits. They may not draft anyone they’ve met with until the fifth or sixth round. At the same time, every team meets with every prospect either at an all-star game, at the combine, or at their pro day by the time the draft starts. So don’t panic because your favorite prospect isn’t listed here. These meetings are the clearest indicator of interest, so we’ll keep track of who the Saints are hosting in the weeks ahead. Be sure to check this space often:

Source: https://saintswire.usatoday.com/lists/n ... lan-laube/