Meet the Team: 2024 New Orleans Saints Draft Picks

Original source (on modern site) | Article images: [1]

Taliese Fuaga, Offensive Tackle, Oregon State

Saints 1st round draft pick, No. 14

The New Orleans Saints selected Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga with the 14th pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25.

Fuaga, a 6-6, 324lb junior from Tacoma, Wash., earned multiple first team All-American honors in 2023. A standout in the Pac-12, he received first team All-Pac-12 accolades and was recognized as a Polynesian Player of the Year finalist. He was a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award in 2023. Throughout his junior year, Taliese helped his team average nearly 170 yards per game rushing.

Taliese Fuaga Career Overview

• In four seasons at Oregon State, Fuaga played in 39 career games, opening his last 25 contests at right tackle.

• 2023: Fuaga opened all 12 games he played in at right tackle for the Beavers, as part of an offensive line that helped the team average 4.9 yards per carry and 167.1 rushing yards per game. He was a first-team All-America selection by Phil Steele, Pro Football Focus, ESPN, CBS Sports and the FWAA and was a second-team selection by the Associated Press, AFCA, The Athletic, The Sporting News and USA Today. Fuaga was a consensus first-team All-Pac-12 selection for the 8-5 Beavers. He was selected to participate in the Senior Bowl.

• 2022: Fuaga was a Pro Football Focus honorable mention All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 (second-team by Associated Press and conference coaches), when he started all 13 games at right tackle for the 10-3 Beavers, helping pave the way for the team to average 396.0 yards per game overall and 196.5 on the ground.

• 2021: Fuaga saw action in 10 games for Oregon State as a sophomore and four contests as a freshman in the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic shortened season.

Kool-Aid McKinstry, Cornerback, Alabama

Saints 2nd round draft pick, No. 41

After trading up four spots in Round 2, the New Orleans Saints selected cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry from Alabama with the 41st pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday, April 26, 2024.

McKinstry, a 6-foot-1 junior from Birmingham, Ala., was one of the nation's top corners who also contributed at punt returner for the Crimson Tide. He was selected as a first team All-American by the Associated Press and The Sporting News in addition to being selected as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented each year to the nation's top defensive back. In 2023, McKinstry broke up seven passes to go with 32 tackles, including two for loss (-4 yards) as well as returned 14 punts for 86 combined yards with a long gain of 33.

Kool-Aid McKinstry Career Overview

In three seasons at Alabama (2021-23), McKinstry recorded 92 tackles, five stops for loss, two sacks, two interceptions and 25 passes defensed. In two seasons (2022-23) as the primary punt returner, he returned 35 punts for 418 yards (11.9 avg.).
2023: McKinstry was a consensus first-team All-American and All-SEC selection and semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, as he made 32 stops, including two for a loss and broke up seven passes. He also returned 14 punts for 86 yards with a long gain of 33 yards. He was a defensive and special teams centerpiece for a Crimson Tide team that won the SEC Championship game and advanced to the College Football Playoff for the second time in three years.
2022: McKinstry was a second-team All-American at cornerback and punt returner and a first-team All-SEC defensive back. On defense, he made 35 tackles, including two stops for a loss, one sack, one 26-yard interception return and 16 passes defensed. He ranked second among Division I punt returners with 332 yards and averaged 15.8 yards per punt return, ranked second in the nation and first in the conference.
2021: McKinstry served as a key reserve in the secondary and on special teams in his first year with the Crimson Tide, recording 25 tackles, including one stop for a loss, one sack, one interception and two passes defensed, earning freshman All-SEC honors as Alabama advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship game.

Spencer Rattler, Quarterback, South Carolina

Saints 5th round draft pick, No. 150

The New Orleans Saints selected quarterback Spencer Rattler from South Carolina with the 150th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

Rattler, 6 feet, 211 pounds, spent two seasons with the Gamecocks after beginning his collegiate career at Oklahoma. He played in 48 career contests, posting a 28-14 record in 42 career starts while completing 900-of-1,313 career passes (68.5 pct.) for 10,807 yards with 77 touchdowns and 32 interceptions. He threw at least one touchdown pass in 32 of his 42 career starts and finished his Gamecock career fifth all-time in passing yards with 6,212. He also ranked first in Carolina history in career completion percentage (.675), fifth in career completions (523) and ninth in career passing touchdowns (37) despite playing just two seasons in the Garnet & Black.

Spencer Rattler Career Overview

In five seasons at Oklahoma (2019-21) and South Carolina (2022-23), Rattler played in 48 games with 42 starts and completed 900-of-1,313 passes (68.5%) for 10,807 yards with 77 touchdowns and carried 297 times for 410 yards with 16 touchdowns.
2023: A two-time team captain at South Carolina after transferring from Oklahoma, the 6-0, 211-pound Rattler started all 12 games as a redshirt senior in 2023 and completed 275-of-389 passes (70.1%) for 3,186 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Rattler was invited to the Reese's Senior Bowl. where he was selected as the game's Most Valuable Player. With New Orleans having selected quarterback Jake Haener in the fourth round (127th overall) in 2023, the Saints have the last two Reese's Senior Bowl MVPs on their roster.
2022: Rattler started all 13 games in his first season with the Gamecocks, leading them to an 8-5 record. He completed 264-of-399 passes (66.2%) for 3,026 yards with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
2020: As a redshirt freshman, Rattler started all 11 games in his second year at Oklahoma, completing 214-of-317 passes (67.5%) for 3,031 yards with 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions, also rushing 81 times for 160 yards and six touchdowns. He was named national Freshman of the Year by CBS Sports and earned All-Big 12 honors and co-Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

Bub Means, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh

Saints 5th round draft pick, No. 170

The New Orleans Saints selected wide receiver Bub Means from Pittsburgh with the 170th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

Means, a 6-foot-2 senior from Lovejoy, Ga., played in all 12 games for the Panthers in 2023, starting 10 at wide receiver. He was an honorable mention All‐ACC, compiling 41 receptions for 721 yards (17.6 avg.) and six touchdowns. Means led Pitt in receiving yards and TD catches with his 75‐yard touchdown catch at Virginia Tech marking a career‐long reception and was the Panthers' longest of the season.

Bub Means Career Overview

After starting his career as a defensive back at Tennessee (2019), where he was played with current Saints teammate Alontae Taylor, the 6-2, 215-pound Means played two years at Louisiana Tech (2020-21) and the last two seasons at Pittsburgh (2022-23). In 41 college games with 19 starts, he had career totals of 90 receptions for 1,552 yards (17.2 avg.) with ten touchdowns.
2023: In his final season at Pitt, Means played in all 12 games with ten starts and was an honorable mention All-ACC selection, when he recorded 41 receptions for 721 yards (17.6 avg.) with six touchdowns, leading the Panthers in receiving yards and TD catches.
2022: Means joined Pitt as a transfer and played in all 13 games with seven starts and compiled 27 receptions for 401 yards (14.9 avg.) and two touchdowns.
The Lovejoy, Ga. native played in 11 games with two starts for Louisiana Tech in 2021 and compiled 22 receptions for 430 yards (team-high 19.6 avg.).

Jaylan Ford, Linebacker, Texas

Saints 5th round draft pick, No. 175

The New Orleans Saints selected linebacker Jaylan Ford from Texas with the 175th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

Ford, a 6-foot-3 senior from Frisco, Texas, was a four-year linebacker who played in 49 games with 29 starts for the Longhorns. He was named a 2022 third-team All-American by The Associated Press and a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2022 and 2023. Ford racked up four interceptions in 2022 to tie for the Texas season record for a linebacker, which was last accomplished by Derrick Johnson in 2002 and 2003. He was also tabbed the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year by Dave Campbell's Texas Football and earned Academic All-Big 12 First Team honors in 2021.

Jaylan Ford Career Overview

In four seasons at Texas, Ford, 6-2, 240, played in 49 games with 29 starts and finished his college career with 287 tackles (141 solo), including 27.5 stops for loss, and added three sacks, six interceptions, ten passes defensed, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
2023: The Frisco, Texas native was a Butkus Award semifinalist and consensus first-team All-Big 12 selection when he started all 14 games and totaled 101 tackles, 10.5 stops for loss, one sack, two interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recoveries and two passes defensed.
2022: Ford was an Associated Press third-team All-American and consensus first-team All-Big 12 selection. In 13 games with 12 starts, totaled a career-high 119 tackles, ten stops for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, four interceptions and two passes defensed.
2021: Ford played in 12 games with two starts and registered 53 tackles (29 solo) with a team-leading six stops for loss.

Khristian Boyd, Defensive Tackle, Northern Iowa

Saints 6th round draft pick, No. 199

The New Orleans Saints selected defensive tackle Khristian Boyd from Northern Iowa with the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

Boyd, a 6-foot-2 senior from Kansas City, MO, played in all 11 games for the Northern Iowa Panthers, recording 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss with 3.5 sacks. He was named third-team Associated Press FCS All-American as well as first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2023. In 2022, he was also named to the second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference. Boyd has a career 149 total tackles for the Panthers, 22.5 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks.

Khristian Boyd Career Overview

In six seasons at Northern Iowa, Boyd, 6-2, 320, played in 49 games and recorded 149 tackles, 22.5 stops for a loss, 10.5 sacks, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles.
2023: The Kansas City, Mo. native was a consensus FCS third-team All-American, starting every game on the defensive line and totaling 43 tackles, including 6.5 stops for a loss and 3.5 sacks.
2022: Boyd was a consensus second-team All-Conference selection, when he played in ten games and recorded 32 tackles, including five stops for loss, one sack, two passes defensed and two forced fumbles.

Josiah Ezirim, Offensive Tackle, Eastern Kentucky

Saints 7th round draft pick, No. 239

The New Orleans Saints selected offensive tackle Josiah Ezirim from Eastern Kentucky with the 239th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

Ezirim, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound senior from Hilliard, Ohio, was named third-team Associated Press FCS All-American as well as first-team All-United Athletic Conference after starting 11 games at right tackle. As a junior, he played in all 12 games with the Colonels and was part of an offensive line that helped EKU rank third nationally in passing offense per game (329.7), fifth in third-down conversion percentage (.519), 10th in total offense per game (451.3), 11th in scoring offense (36.2), and 18th in red zone offense (.879). Ezirim and the offensive line helped EKU tally its highest point total in program history.