Beginning the NFL Draft Conversation: Florida State's Bjoern Werner

Right now the Saints are projected to be right around the middle of the pack in the 2013 NFL Draft. They originally had this year's first round pick expunged by The Commish, but he gave them a little mercy by taking their 2nd rounder instead.

This year's draft is chock full of defensive talent. At least ten defensive players are expected to be first round prospects from the SEC alone. As Who Dat Nation knows, the Saints could use a lot of help on the defensive side of the ball. The team's salary cap will be extremely tight next year as well, so we could be in for a big turnover.

Let's assume that the Saints stay right around the 16th pick of the 1st round. Unless the Saints just absolutely love an offensive player and feel he will fit in their explosive system, I can almost guarantee they will pick either a defensive lineman or a linebacker.

I have taken an early look at some of the top players, and Bjoern Werner, a defensive end out of Florida State, has caught my eye. He is a mammoth of a player, weighing about 270 pounds at 6'4". After watching a few highlight videos, he seems pretty quick off the ball too. In 2012, Werner has totaled 39 tackles, 18 of which were for a loss, and 13 sacks for the Seminoles. If I was to compare Werner to a current NFL player, it would probably be Justin Smith of the 49ers, who is a completely monster of a human being. Since an aging Will Smith is set to be due about $10 million at the start of next season, the Big German would be a viable option.

This of course is an extremely early look at the 2013 draft, but I figured it would be a fun idea to go ahead and begin looking at possible new members of the team that we love. And of course I hope the Saints are picking closer to the 30's in the NFL Draft, but right now it doesn't look likely.