The Saints got busy in the first day of the lockout being lifted tonight, as they got to work on inking a slew of undrafted rookie free agents. The most notable name was Clemson safety DeAndre McDaniel, who was rated by many as the top undrafted prospect and a guy I called for the Saints to take pretty loudly throughout the end of the draft. He was given a 3rd round grade by many people but apparently saw his draft stock slip due to a red flag wrist injury. Talk about a possible low risk high return player. This guy is a perfect fit for the Saints and I think he could easily crack the backup spot behind Roman Harper.
Here was his write up on NFL.com:
“McDaniel is a physically impressive safety prospect who makes a lot of plays roaming the middle in zone coverage and filling against the run. Would be a good fit for a team that likes to walk a safety down into the box for run support or to cut loose on blitzes. Will bring a tough, intimidating, explosive presence to the middle of an NFL defense. Some deficiencies in man coverage and an off-the-field issue are the two main areas of concern. But in a relatively weak safety class, McDaniel should hear his named called in the first few rounds of the draft.”
Strenghts: “McDaniel is an outstanding blend of height, length, bulk and speed. Looks the part. Very productive player, with a flair for making the big play. Appears to be a well-prepared. Has good range in zone, can lay the wood or make a plays on the ball. Loves to play the run, fills in a hurry.”
Weaknesses: “Is a bit high-cut and lacks some fluidity when attempting to mirror quicker receivers in coverage. Can get caught looking in the backfield at play fakes on occasion. Must watch his tackling technique at times. Was arrested in 2008 but is not a locker room personality problem.”
Some other names that have been reported so far:
Ohio St. DT Dexter Larimore
Fordham SS Isa Abdul-Quddus
Texas WR John Chiles
Walsh WR Joe Morgan
Iowa LB Jeremiha Hunter
Illinois WR Jarred Fayson
Fresno St. QB Ryan Colburn
Missouri St. OLB Kolby Hurt
Marian College OT Coy Beilby
North Dakota St. CB Josh Gatlin
Nebraska OT Mike Smith
Florida OG Carl Johnson
Nebraska-Omaha TE Mike Higgins
USC RB CJ Gable
Cincinnati K Jake Rogers
Millsaps WR Michael Galatas
Oregon St. LB Dwight Roberson
New Mexico St. FB Kyle Nelson
UCLA C Ryan Taylor
Princeton TE Harry Flaherty
I’ll continue to post names as they come up
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