At this point I have covered pretty much every candidate that I think is likely and/or relevant for the Saints at 31. Before I attempt to look at some of the guys we might go at from the 31st pick through the second round (beyond that I’m not even going to attempt it) I figured I would share a couple of my own mock drafts. I got the idea after taking a look at Andrew’s first couple of drafts, and when he posted the fanspeak link I just couldn’t resist. I used the ‘composite’ option for each of the drafts if anyone is wondering and I have to say at least for me personally I was very happy with my results.
I won’t go into too much detail with each pick outside of why I picked them at that spot (and on certain ones who they were picked over). Some of these guys I absolutely intend on covering because i fell they are VERY likely targets for the Saints at their second or third picks in the draft. Either way I look forward to seeing your feedback, and with no more rambling lets look at who we ‘get’.
1st try.
Round 1:
13th pick: Danny Shelton
Beasley was gone and it was between Shelton and Dupree for me. If Shelton is gone Dupree is an easy pick for me… but he wasn’t. The Saints have decent pass rush talent, but adding a player like Shelton who can make a huge difference on the interior actually improves that talent and gives a player like Gallete (who I believe was second in QB pressures last year) the extra half second they need to put a guy on the ground. Shelton is a mammoth and should be a mainstay for the Saints for a long time.
31st pick: Nate Orchard
Orchard isn’t a guy I have covered yet and I was actually a little surprised he was there at 31. With him there it gave me the ability to pick up a player who may well have similar (if not better) potential as a pass rusher as the guys at the top of the draft AND to pair him with Shelton who should make all of our rushers jobs easier. Orchard is a good get at 31 on his own, but I believe with Shelton already in toe the combination of the two could be a game changer.
2nd round:
44th pick: Stephone Anthony
He has a high motor, great character, ideal characteristics (size and weight) for an inside backer in a 3-4, and his tape backs it up. He isn’t necessarily going to be a game breaker, but he is a sure tackler with enough athleticism that he won’t be as much of a liability in coverage as previous occupants of the position have been. McKinney and Perryman were also both gone and I believe linebacker to be the Saints biggest need so I had to take the guy I thought was the best fit. That’s Anthony.
3rd round:
75th pick: Devon Smith
The Saints just traded away their ‘burner’ in Kenny Stills; so why not go and draft a guy who leaves scorch marks in his wake (formerly known as the corners covering him). Smith has real game speed and was unequivocally the ‘gamebreaker’ for the Buckeyes last year. He isn’t the most polished of players, but with a little coaching (and Drew can make A LOT of guys look good) he could become one of the premier deep threats in the league. Getting him in the third is the right value in, my opinion, which still fills an assumed need.
78th pick: Bryce Petty
I can almost guarantee I am going to catch flack for this, but I am personally very high on his potential. Petty is a more than solid athlete who outside of Winston is probably the natural ‘thrower’ of the ball in this draft. He has a lot to learn and it’s entirely possible that the Saints can get him in either the fourth or fifth rounds. That said, I think he could be the Saints starter in 3-4 years and I like his upside much more than Griffin’s.
2nd attempt
1st round:
13th pick: Danny Shelton
This time it was either him or Cooper and I chose him because we need a dominant, or at minimum competent, presence on the interior more than we need another 1st round WR… especially in a deep draft at the position.
31st pick: Denzel Perryman
Barry Hirstius (@HarahanWhoDat on twitter) of Bigeasybeliever.com would be more than happy with this pick as he talked him up as pretty much his favorite guy in the draft. After seeing him play I can’t say Barry is wrong. The kid is the definition of the term ‘thumper’. He’s the kind of guy who is generous enough to help ball-carriers have an ‘out of body experience’ on a frequent basis. He plays hard, through the whistle, and has incredible tenacity and leadership qualities. His size is a little worrisome, but he wouldn’t be the first player to compensate lack of height with a giant chip on their shoulder.
2nd round:
44th pick: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
I am actually of the opinion that he could well be the best corner in this draft outside of Marcus Peters (who isn’t getting that billing for character reasons and character reasons alone). He is unquestionably in my mind a first round talent, but a big knee injury should have him available here. Some would question his ability to play outside because of his size, but he can play the slot just as well (maybe better) and I believe that if he makes a full recovery the guy is going to be a star in the league. I also couldn’t WAIT to hear Ralph try to say this guy’s name in the post draft podcast…. you guys thought Akiem Hicks was trouble :P…. and if you don’t know what I am talking about go listen to the podcast because it is awesome!
3rd round:
75th pick: Kwon Alexander
I think he would be a good fit opposite Junior Gallete and could be the ideal player to mix in with Haralson (and eventually replace him). He is a good tackler, great worker, explosive, and has solid technique. He isn’t going to be a star necessarily, but I believe he could be the kind of ‘do your job’ guy this defense really needs.
78th pick: Ali Marpet
He very well could be the steal of the entire draft if the Saints were to get him here. Marpet has incredible potential to be a top flight guard in the NFL. Picking him up would give the Saints potentially a dominant offensive line going forward and would really make them just a viable backup at Tackle away from one of the league’s best units. I REALLY hope we can get him here.
3rd attempt
1st round:
13th pick: Shaq Thompson
I’m sure Andrew Juge will be scrolling down this just waiting for the moment I take this guy… and here it is. I have made no secret about the fact that I absolutely love this guy as a pick for the Saints. On this particular mock I actually chose him over Shelton so that should tell you enough about how high I think his potential is. Thompson is a position-versatile playmaker with a nose for the football and some pretty freaky athletic traits. He is just the kind of ‘put him anywhere’ type of playmaker that could make Rob Ryan’s entire scheme work.
31st pick: Jaelan Strong
I think this guy might very well be the best fit for the Saints scheme in this draft and he seems to be a natural fit as ‘Colston 2.0’ (to be very clear that is a projection as those are HUGE shoes to fill). I’m amazed he dropped this far to be honest, but if he is there at 31 I don’t see any way Payton doesn’t pull the trigger and give Drew another guy who can work the deep middle of the field.
2nd round:
44th pick: Denzel Perryman
He is a stud and if he is there at 44 I hope the Saints pull the trigger. He could very well fix a lot of their issues tackling ball carriers all on his own.
3rd round:
75th pick: Malcom Brown
Brown has the athleticism and tools to be the best tackle in this draft. He is still a little raw and there are some questions about his motor, but at 75 I believe he has the value to make this a good pickup. Especially if the Saints use a rotation of him and Jenkins to keep them both relatively fresh…and image the goal line packages.
78th pick: Clive Walford
The Saints just gave up a playmaking TE out of Mia because he was a poor blocker (there was a lot more to it and they got value for him, but it had to factor). Walford is known as an excellent run blocker and he has enough athleticism and explosiveness to make big plays over the middle in the passing game when needed. A two tight end formation with him and Josh Hill could be a doomsday weapon in the hands of Payton and Brees (especially with Cooks on the outside), and he is definitely a player who could bring a ton of value to New Orleans. I don’t think he has the superstar ability Jimmy had, but his versatility and lack of major weaknesses may make him a better scheme fit that makes the offense less stagnant.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
