Well, of all places, I’m currently in Paris, France. My flight took off with about 5 picks to go till the Saints went at 89. Of course. Grrrrr… So I’m just catching up now. It looks like the Saints turned some heads and drafted Akiem Hicks in the 3rd round, of Regina University in Canada. Personally, I have no idea if the guy is good or not because I’ve never seen him play, but at the very least his unknown background has to impress you yet again with the Saints’ research department. Clearly they turn over every stone and discover talent any place they can find it.
Here is the write up on Hicks on NFL.com, who has the size to play DT and the athleticism to play DE:
Overview: “Hicks is an interesting late-riser prospect coming into the draft following a career playing college football in Canada, at the little-known University of Regina in Saskatchewan. He started at LSU, but circumstances surrounding his recruitment led him north of the border. He has the size to play on the front lines and could have late-round value for a team willing to develop him.”
Strengths: “Hicks has a promising frame, not only to play at defensive tackle but also outside at end in a 3-4 scheme. He is athletic and shows a strong burst and agility off the snap to get into opposing offensive linemen. He has decent strength to defeat blockers, but he prefers to make an athletic move and quickly get into the backfield. He is athletic in open space, and this is where his value is most evident. He has NFL-caliber size, agility and burst off the ball.”
Weaknesses: “Hicks has been a slow developer who has played two full seasons of junior college ball (Sacramento City College) and then two seasons in Canada. It remains to be seen how readily adaptable his skills are to the pros given that level of competition. While teams might want him as an end based off his size, Hicks can get overwhelmed at the point of attack against double teams, and he doesn’t have many moves in his arsenal to counter. He is a decent run defender, but plays too upright at times; technique is the main hitch in every aspect of his game.”
Welcome to the Saints Akiem! The above stuff is encouraging. If technique is the main problem, that can be fixed, that’s coachable stuff. Athleticism and size cannot be coached, and those are things he’s blessed with. Hopefully he can contribute quickly.
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