Why the Saints should pick Danny Shelton at 13

guidehorselawsjonmattchristian

What is large, round, and would look amazing in Black and Gold? Danny Shelton. This human tank is probably the best defensive lineman in this draft outside of Williams and could be the ideal pickup for Rob Ryan and his 3-4 packages. Shelton is a monster of a man with enormous power that masks surprising athleticism. He is not only able to get great push and stop the run, but is also a very effective pass rusher for a Tackle. One of the biggest needs for this defense is a guy(s) who can create pressure up the middles so that quarterbacks are unable to step up as easily as they did last year. This gives the pass rushers the extra second they need to get the QB down and can also disrupt plays all on its own.

Why is Shelton the guy to fill this role?

For starters his size. Shelton is a mammoth of a human being at 6’2″ and 339 pounds and he uses it well. That is almost ideal size for a nose tackle as it gives him the ability to eat up blocks and create opportunities for his fellow lineman. What makes Shelton potentially a special player is his ability to do more than simply take up space though. He is an effective pass rusher in his own right; he can beat single and double teams and if a player takes their eyes off of him or fails to match up with him for  a second… the QB or RB is going to pay the price. Shelton repeatedly demonstrated surprising quickness for a man his size and has shown a willingness to chase down plays and also attack plays that are stretched out to the side (one of many types the Saints struggled with a great deal).  Some of that is due to his physical gifts, but Shelton is also experienced at having to make those kind of plays because he played in the conference where offense rules… the Pac 12. Shelton is known for his hustle as much as his talent and that was a major reason he was able to rack up 9.5 sacks and 89 tackles. On a team that showed a lack of hustle and heart I believe that Shelton could be a fantastic pickup, both on and off the field.

Is he worth it at 13?

Most people who know football will tell you that at the end of the day the game is won or lost in trenches. As Saints fans we got to witness that old idiom play itself out far too often last season as Brees was pressured right up the gut of the offensive line in key moments causing mistakes and turnovers, while our defense was unable to create the same opportunities. The Saints were gashed by backs over and over again and many times it was by running right up the middle. Some of that blame is absolutely on the shoulders of our less than stellar linebacker play and the less than impressive showing of our second year safety (C’mon Kenny!). However, while Shelton isn’t my first choice for the Saints at 13 the need for a player with his exact skill set is so great that I wouldn’t second guess PayLoo if they decide to take him (provided he is there). As much as better guard and center play would have helped Brees, having a player with Shelton’s ability to plug the gaps and take up blockers (with the occasional pass rush) could have a revolutionary effect on our defense. Imagine if Cam Jordan couldn’t be double teamed because it meant leaving Shelton one on one… I can almost guarantee that there would have been a lot more games like Pittsburg for him. One of the things the Team desperately needs is some flat out ‘beef’… Shelton is everything you could want in that regard.

Arrow to top