If you saw my post earlier this week you know how I plan to spend the first two rounds of the NFL Draft this year. For the other five rounds, I'll be hoping to hear some of the following names called when the Saints are on the clock. Not because I'm some draft guru, like Mel Kiper; but instead because otherwise I've wasted countless hours of meticulous research poring over player backgrounds and video coverage of potential prospects.
Anyway, I've come to realize there may be such a thing as too much football. Now keep in mind I'm no NFL expert at picking talent but here's a list of potential prospects that could fill some of the more shallow positions for the Saints. I mainly used nfldraftscout.com for player profiles because they seem to have the most extensive profile database. I don't necessarily agree with all of the projected rounds but I figured I'd stay true to the source of my data.
I focused on what I believe are the Saints biggest areas of need: DT, DE, CB, S, and TE. I also tried to include players who have been invited to New Orleans for individual workouts, but I doubt I got everyone since I live too far away to stake out the Airline Dr. parking lot, and Dave said he had some thing called a life.
Name |
Ht/Wt |
School |
Proj. Rd. |
Notes |
6‘4"/295 |
Boise State |
2nd |
On the off chance he's available in 3rd round |
|
6‘5"/295 |
Texas |
3rd-6th |
Can He Transition to 4-3? Wide projection range |
|
6‘3"/301 |
Florida |
4th-5th |
Former walk-on; highly motivated |
|
6‘4"/298 |
South Carolina |
5th-7th |
Strong, but slow |
|
6‘3"/295 |
Stanford |
6th-FA |
Coming off knee injury; Very strong |
|
6‘4"/318 |
U of Regina |
7th |
Mel Kiper’s Mock pick for us in the 3rd round of his! |
Name |
Ht/Wt |
School |
Proj. Rd. |
Notes |
6‘1"/306 |
Michigan |
2nd-3rd |
Injury lowered stock; Small, but effective;High FB IQ |
|
6‘4"/268 |
Virginia |
3rd-4th |
Changed from OLB to DE; Hybrid Player? |
|
6‘4"/274 |
Arkansas |
5th |
Can play OLB in 3-4 scheme |
|
6‘3"/270 |
Oklahoma |
5th-7th |
Medically cleared from heart condition; Stock rising again |
|
6‘4"/277 |
California |
7th-FA |
Strong; Fast; Possible Sleeper |
|
6‘3"/265 |
Tulsa |
N/A |
Odd data; Listed as DT also; Listed at 298 lbs also? |
Name |
Ht/Wt |
School |
Proj. Rd |
Notes |
5‘11"/185 |
Vanderbilt |
2nd-4th |
Consistent, speedy player; If available in 3rd |
|
5‘10/182 |
UL-Lafayette |
3rd-4th |
Special teams player; Fast |
|
5‘10/190 |
LSU |
3rd-4th |
Rising draft stock; Doubt he’s available |
|
6‘0"/192 |
Texas A&M |
7th |
Backup CB in college; Possible sleeper |
|
5‘8"/190 |
Wisconsin |
7th-FA |
Short, but effective; Playmaker ability |
Name |
Ht/ Wt |
School |
Proj. Rd. |
Notes |
Christian Thompson |
6'0"/211 |
South Carolina State |
4th-5th |
FS; Auburn transfer; Fast; Decent strength |
Antonio Allen |
6'2"/210 |
South Carolina |
4th-5th |
SS; Aggressive; Not stupid |
Duke Ihenacho |
6'0"/213 |
San Jose State |
5th-6th |
SS; Good field vision; Reads QB; Foot injury |
Justin Bethel |
6'0"/200 |
Presbyterian |
5th-6th |
FS; Speedy; Good vertical; Small school |
Winston Guy |
6'1"/218 |
Kentucky |
7th-FA |
SS; Good tackling stats; Shoulder injury |
Phillip Thomas |
5'11"/198 |
Syracuse |
7th-FA |
FS; Junior; Good instincts; Natural leader; CB |
Name |
Ht/Wt |
School |
Proj. Rd. |
Notes |
6‘6"/238 |
UL-Lafayette |
3rd-4th |
Good hands; Big and fast; Good route runner | |
6‘4"/252 |
Oklahoma |
6th-7th |
Fast; Underrated; Good hands and strength | |
6‘4"/264 |
Cincinatti |
7th-N/A |
Natural athlete; Limited experience; Possible sleeper |
Name |
Ht/Wt |
School |
Proj. Rd. |
Notes |
6‘5"/292 |
Oregon |
5th-7th |
Fast, Athletic OT; Conflicting player weight reported |
|
Donovan Robinson |
6‘3"/250 |
Jackson State |
6th-7th |
Versatile OLB; Can play as light DE |
5‘11"/197 |
Boise State |
6th-7th |
Too Small for NFL QB! (Sound familiar?) |