4-round NFL mock draft has an on-brand first pick for the Saints

The pick at No. 29 is North Dakota State offensive lineman Cody Mauch. Reuter’s take:

Interior blockers Andrus Peat and Cesar Ruiz have uncertain futures with the Saints. Mauch can play all five positions on the line and brings the same sort of nastiness as last year’s first-rounder, left tackle Trevor Penning.

The Saints get a lot of snaps out of their sixth lineman (Calvin Throckmorton played nearly 1,400 snaps the last two years) so Mauch would play a lot as a rookie, even if he isn’t starting. And both Peat and Ruiz are likely to be free agents next offseason, so Mauch is a replacement plan for at least one of them. This would be a frustrating pick for fans hoping to wait through the first round all night and land an exciting receiver or pass rusher, but it’s the kind of smart foundational move the Saints are known for.