We are now less than a week away from the draft and so the time has come to really take a look at the 27th pick in the draft and start thinking about who is a realistic option. We all have our favorites, and with the 497 trillion mock drafts available online (only a slight exaggeration here), I’m sure most of us feel that we have a good idea of how things are going to unfold. Let’s be realistic though; there is a reason nobody has ever offered a billion dollars for a perfect mock…its practically impossible as there is always at least one move that makes everyone’s jaw drop. I am not going to make a mock draft here because there are just too many variables to go over and I prefer to spend my time writing about things I feel I can defend with a certain expectation of accuracy.
Now on to the fun stuff:
Below I will have my top 5 draft picks that the Saints could take at 27. These players are ranked not just by being BPA, but also on how realistic I think the chance is that they are available at 27.
5: Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State.
In an earlier post I made the case that Shazier might just be the best possible pick for the team in this whole draft because of his incredible measurable and fit within Rob Ryan’s multiple and aggressive defense. Shazier is number 5 for two reasons; first of all I think there is a legitimate chance that someone will take him before the Saints pick at 27 simply because his numbers are so jaw dropping that they will go full Al Davis and take the new ‘pretty toy’ regardless of fit (not saying we are the only team that he makes sense for, but the Saints are one of about 3 defenses I could really see him thriving in). The second reason is that while Shazier has the ability to be both an inside and outside linebacker, there is significant linebacker depth in this draft and the team’s two biggest positions of need may trump his potential value depending on who is available.
4: Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State.
I swear I am not trying to get the two Ohio state guys out of the way because I fear the Jenkins curse (don’t worry folks both of these guys understand how to hit a QB when they have a clean shot, although neither provides his leadership to give him credit). Roby has a little bit of a character question which is why he has fallen from what would have been #2 on my list to #4, but lets be honest, Roby has the ability to be easily the best corner in the whole draft. If he is there at 27 I would have no problem with the Saints drafting him, and especially now that the Saints have a Hall of Famer to mentor him/keep him in line in Champ Bailey. The bottom line is Roby has tremendous ball skills and instincts combined with great athleticism that make him an intriguing prospect and a potential long-term starter down the road… if only he weren’t such a bonehead.
3: C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama.
Mosley has drawn comparisons in some people’s opinions to SF linebacker NaVorro Bowman… that is really all I need to hear. Mosley comes from a great defensive system in Alabama and is as sure of a tackler as exists in this draft, a great complement to Lofton on the inside. Normally I wouldn’t expect a player with his production and skill set, not to mention the over hyping of Alabama defenders, to drop as low as 27. However, Mosley has had some nicks that have some analysts, and we assume some front offices as well, a little shaky on him. The Saints have an excellent front office that I trust completely to do their due diligence, and if Mosley drops to 27 and PayLoo feel he is their guy… I am 100% behind the pick. The one true weakness we had on defense last year was that at times our linebackers either couldn’t shed blocks, or didn’t take the best angles to tackle running backs in the backfield. Mosley is probably the best solution to that particular problem in the draft while still being passable in coverage (sorry Lofton that is NOT you).
2: Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech.
Kyle Fuller might just be the best press corner in the entire draft, and there is a very good chance he will be there at 27. Fuller is an excellent tackler who has both the size (6’0”, 190lbs) and the speed (4.4 40) to be a perfect complement to Keenan Lewis as the Saints eventual #2 corner. The only area where Fuller isn’t everything we as Saints fans could dream of is his ball skills which are average at best. Don’t get me wrong I would love our corners to all have Richard Sherman level ball skills, but that is highly unlikely, instead I would prefer we have guys who are competent and consistent in their coverage. Fuller is by no means a NCMF, but he isn’t going to lead the league in picks either. I am ok with that because we have playmakers all over the defense and the better coverage we can get from our corners the more our safeties can gamble (we may have possibly signed some guy who is really good at being the anti-ncmf btw).
1: Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State.
If you have stayed with me up to this point you are probably wondering when I was going to get to the WR position, well here ya go. The Saints have a need of explosive playmakers who can turn a game with a single play and in that regard Cooks is the best player in the draft bar none. Cooks has great hands that complement his excellent route running perfectly. Cooks is already more experienced at being a #1 guy than a comparable player like OBJ and racked up over 1600 yards and 16 touchdowns (yea guys, he was Jimmy with three fewer games) while facing double and even triple coverage’s all year. To be fair OBJ is the better return man and could legitimately give the Saints a threat to return any punt for a TD, which is invaluable because our returns game is poor. The only problem with putting Cooks on this list is that it isn’t anything close to a sure thing that he will be there at 27. Normally I try to stick to my own rules, but I honestly could see PayLoo pulling the trigger on this guy if he makes it past the Jets, and trading up. The fact that we could get a player who is a match-up nightmare as well as a field stretcher, who also fixes our horrible return game…yea I don’t think I need to say anymore.
Since I know that not a lot of you are as familiar with Cooks as I am since I get to see the guy around campus, here is a highlight package that I suggest you guys watch. Two things to look at in particular are the way he runs his routes and also his ability to highpoint balls in coverage despite his ‘size’ problem.
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