INDIANAPOLIS — The New Orleans Saints’ college scouting department was honored Wednesday as winners of the Best Draft Award for their strong 2025 class that included their potential quarterback of the future, franchise left tackle and several other starters.
The recognition marks the second time the Saints have won the award, handed out by Inside The League and voted on by other NFL scouts and administrators. New Orleans was named the inaugural winner for its iconic 2017 class.
The Saints drafted nine players last offseason, with many going on to become important contributors. First-round tackle Kelvin Banks, picked ninth overall, started all 17 games and ranked near the top among all rookies in snap counts. Quarterback Tyler Shough, New Orleans’ second-round selection, went 5-4 as a starter and finished as a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Saints also found defensive starters in third-round safety Jonas Sanker and fourth-round cornerback Quincy Riley.
Even the Saints’ rookies who spent most of the year as backups had promising moments, including fourth-round linebacker Danny Stutsman, sixth-round running back Devin Neal and seventh-round tight end Moliki Matavao.
Saints assistant general manager and college scouting director Jeff Ireland leads the team’s scouting process.
“To be honest with you, the process has really not changed since I’ve been here,” Ireland said in January when asked about the success of last year’s draft. “We’ve used the same process that we’ve used. I think the addition to the (then-new coaching) staff and their energy and their enthusiasm in the process helped for sure.
“They gave us great vision for what they were looking for, and that’s important. We went after high makeup, high character, highly intelligent players that had production in college.”