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After updating yesterday's Saints Mock Draft Database, I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that the Saints would be drafting one of just a handful of DE/OLB prospects come April.
Mocking the Draft's Matthew Fairburn agrees the Saints will definitely look to bolster their pass rush with one of these hybrid defensive players, but he's gone off the reservation when it comes to the actual player he's chosen in his latest mock draft and it's left me scratching my head.
Fairburn has the Saints taking DE/OLB Jamie Collins out of Southern Miss with the 15th overall pick, a player I have yet to see appear in the first round of any other mock draft.
Collins practically stole the show at the NFL Combine, which is probably the biggest reason he's shot up the draft boards. But all the way up to 15th overall? Here's what Fairburn has to say about his pick for the Saints:
Collins turned heads at the combine and was always wildly productive for Southern Mississippi. He may not be a pure pass rusher, but in this mock draft, he's the best outside linebacker available. Collins only got better each year with the Golden Eagles and will continue to do so in the NFL. He's a player that can get up the field but also cover tight ends by himself.
Okay, I'll admit the "cover tight ends by himself" has piqued my interest. That's exactly what the Saints need. But I'm still not sold on this guy simply because of a few impressive performances during Combine workouts.
What do you guys think? Does Jamie Collins truly deserve to be a first round selection or has Matthew Fairburn just lost his mind?