NFL draft: Saints took owner's private jet to see workout for Jalon Walker, Mykel Williams

This is worth noting, one week out from the 2025 NFL draft. The New Orleans Saints sent a big group to Georgia on Thursday for a private workout starring Bulldogs pass rushers Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams. Per the Times-Picayune's Jeff Duncan, the contingent included scouts, coaches, and personnel executives, all of whom were focused on scouting the two potential top-10 draft picks.

According to publicly-available aviation data, Gayle Benson's private jet took off from New Orleans just before 7 a.m. CT on Thursday morning. It landed in Athens, Ga. about an hour later giving the Saints' party time to disembark and travel to campus. That's a lot of expense to go see two players spend 20 minutes running through position drills. Almost half of the NFL's 32 teams were in attendance, including Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator and assistant general manager. So it's looking like at least one of these two Georgia Bulldogs could turn pro in the NFC South.

They just might both do it. The Saints have also hosted Williams on an official 30 visit at their team facility in Metairie, and Walker has done a lot of flirting with the Carolina Panthers (who have reciprocated that interest). We could very well see Carolina pick Walker at No. 8 and, if the Saints don't take Williams at No. 9, he falls to Atlanta at No. 15. Maybe another team takes the bait and trades ahead of New Orleans with the Panthers to get a quarterback, allowing Walker to fall to the Saints. Maybe the Saints are willing to overlook Williams' lackluster 2024 tape given he was playing through a sprained ankle all season and draft him early anyway. There's a lot of intrigue going on here with the draft's first round just one week away. Let's see how it shakes out.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL draft: Saints scouting Georgia stars Jalon Walker, Mykel Williams