Barring a trade, the Saints were never going to be in position to select the top wide receiver in the 2021 draft class.
But had they been in that luxurious situation, Sean Payton said there's no question whom the pick would have been: The Heisman winner and Alabama superstar DeVonta Smith.
Payton and a group of team representatives attended Smith's pro day, and it was a done deal once he got to the game film.
"It was real impressive," Payton said. "He’s an impressive guy talking to him, smart. He’s an exceptional route-runner. His transition speed. ... He was our top receiver by far."
It's also not the first time this season Payton's had to face one of the prospects he had graded highest, singing similarly high praises for quarterback Mac Jones, who started in Week 1 and has led to the Patriots to a 7-4 start.
"[Smith] is someone that I felt was explosive off the ball, transitioned well for someone of his height, and it’s been a good pick,” Payton said.
Smith, of course, was not the first wide receiver taken. That honor went to a fellow Louisiana native Ja'Marr Chase. The former LSU star went No. 5 to the Bengals, though a fair amount of that decision-making was likely tinted by the goal of reuniting Chase and Burrow. Smith was ultimately selected by the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 10, which is why Payton is left using his prospect appreciation for a game plan to spot the slight but impressive receiver in Week 11.
Smith, listed at 6'0' and 170 pounds, has held up to a heavy workload so far. He's been targeted 3 or more times in all 10 of the Eagles' games, catching 42 passes for 603 yards and four touchdowns. He's really poured it on in the Eagles' last two games, with a combined 182 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 9 catches.
The Chase-Burrow connection has thrived in its own right, with the Metairie native catching 44 passes of his own for 835 yards and 7 TDs. That yardage total is the most among rookies, and the 5th most across the NFL.
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But Smith has another Saints connection, that goes back a bit further: He and Mark Ingram are both former Crimson Tide stars who won a national title and a Heisman trophy. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was also an Alabama starter, national champion and Heisman finalist, though he finished his college career at Oklahoma.
"If you're a 'Bama boy it's just love, off the rip, you know? ... And [Smith] is a great dude, great player and I wish him much success in his career," Ingram said. "just not too much success here on Sunday."