OT Josh Conerly Jr. could be sneaky first-round pick for Saints

By Ross Jackson 

Our expectations around the New Orleans Saints’ draft are firmly set on the trenches or one of two playmakers at the top of the draft. Many expect that the trenches would be an offensive lineman as the team struggled with a lack of depth last year. One player that’s starting to see his name mentioned more, and for good reason, is Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. 

Jeffrey Bassa makes the play here, but watch #Oregon LT Josh Conerly Jr. (#55) showing his explosiveness off the ball to get a backside reach block on Yahya Black. Textbook! pic.twitter.com/RddTihBkaz

— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) January 28, 2025

Why Conerly is a Good Prospect

Conerly (6-foot-4 ⅝, 311 lbs.) might be one of the best movers at the position in this class. He’s agile and works to get across the formation or upfield, depending on what he’s being asked to do. He has experience in a versatile and multiple rushing offense that used a balance of zone, man, inside and outside runs at Oregon, which would be a good fit with head coach Kellen Moore who sounds like he’s planning to deploy a similar run game. In pass protection, he impressed with his ability to hold blocks in long dropback scenarios.

He allowed just two sacks in his two years as a starter at left tackle despite not playing offensive line until his high school days. He appeared in 41 total games in his three-year career including 28 consecutive games to finish his collegiate tenure.

Against premiere competition toward the end of 2024, he performed incredibly well. In his final eight games, he surrendered no hits or sacks and gave up just four pressures in total, all hurries in his final game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. He blanked (per Pro Football Focus’ tracking) Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter in his penultimate contest.

He still has some developing to do, including hand placement, balance and some fundamentals. But for a two-year starter, he’s as close to an NFL-ready player that might be able to be found if the Saints decide to invest in their offensive line. He has been seen up-close by the Saints at the Senior Bowl and took a top-30 visit with the team as well.

Every one-on-one pass rep between Josh Conerly Jr. (#76) and Abdul Carter (#11)

Speed vs. Speed pic.twitter.com/4FgENMfKnz

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) April 8, 2025

Conerly’s Offseason Testing Results

• 40-yard-dash: 5.05 seconds
• Vertical: 34.5 inches
• Broad jump: 8-foot-7
• Bench: 24 reps
• RAS: 8.84

Conerly’s Fit With the Saints

Conerly is expected to become a successful starter in the league. He’ll do so at either tackle or guard. He started as the Ducks’ left tackle the last two years. He sees himself as a left tackle as well, but is willing to move inside if asked. That very well may be the case in New Orleans. With starting tackles Taliese Fuaga on the left and Trevor Penning on the right set to go into 2025, the rookie could be asked to take on the left guard role that was vacated by journeyman Lucas Patrick.

Otherwise, the Saints could look at moving either Fuaga or Penning inside, but what might be most likely is that Conerly takes the inside role his rookie year and then could move to right tackle if Penning struggles. Alternatively, Fuaga could move to right tackle and Conerly could reassume the left tackle role he held with Oregon. But at 6-foot-4 ⅝ and 311 pounds, starting his career at guard is absolutely an option.

2024 Stats

• 1 sack allowed
• 2 quarterback hits allowed
• 6 hurries surrendered

Draft Projection

Conerly is expected to be a first- or second-round selection, with a strong chance to go off the board much earlier than the public expects in the first. Similar to Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr., Conerly projects to be ranked much higher on league boards than on media boards. 

In a recent episode of the Locked On Saints Podcast, NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill briefly mentioned Conerly as a possible selection at No. 9 overall. A prime spot to grab him as he may be off the board in the top 15 selections otherwise.

“I think Conerly’s going to go a lot higher than people think, too,” Underhill said. “And I could see (him or Banks) being the pick at nine.”

The alternative is that Conerly becomes the target for which the Saints look to trade into the latter portion of the first round. If New Orleans snags a skill position player at nine to help their offense, the presumed quarterback move from No. 40 back into the first round could actually end up being for a player like Conerly.

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