Long post about draft wishes (1 Viewer)

guillermo

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I hope everyone is having a great Easter weekend and at the same time, behaving in order to keep good health.

I start this post stating that these are basic opinions, coming from an amateur mind. I won't claim to watch tape or have deep knowledge about football and/or scouting, it's just my uneducated opinions and wishes.

Here are my thoughts for next year draft:

- First round

Right now as I check our roster many mock drafts, I think we are in an ideal spot to take one really good linebacker. Before picking one, I want to review an important quality that our current players have, flexibility: Demario Davis can play MIKE or WILL, Alex Anzalone can easily play SAM or MIKE, Kiko and Robertson can play all 3 positions. Ellis is the only one I see stablished in a single position as MIKE.

Of the candidates, Murray is ideal at MIKE, Baun at SAM and Queen at the WILL. To me, any of the bring also flexibility and it may all depend on the qualities the coaches and staff see in them. Of course, availability will be a factor.

Trade down? Only if we can fix to get one of these 3 players.

Prospects that may you double think your strategy if they start following? I only have two: safety Xavier McKinney and WR Henry Ruggs.

McKinney can provide incredible flexibility on the design of our defence. We will play mostly with 2 linebackers and with either McKinney or Malcolm Jenkins playing on the old role of Troy Polamalu all over the field. Add Chauncey Gardiner-Johnson and man, try to read that defence.

The other player will contradict everything I will write later, but Henry Ruggs is a player you have to take if you can. People are thinking on him as a burner (not ideal for Drew right now) but I see him differently. Putting Ruggs on the move on third and short-medium range will force teams to play zone (you can’t play man on him because of his quick separation), that will open more space for Sanders, Cook, Thomas and Kamara. Only way I can see him falling a little is if teams decide that with so many receivers available it is not a priority to pick one early.

Surprise pick? Wiconsin’s RB Jonathan Taylor. He reminds me a lot of Mark Ingram coming out of college. Not precisely how he plays, but because of his leadership, versatility and around of where we are picking. I can see Coach Payton really liking the guy, who can contribute on the first year on the Pierre Thomas role and later being the bell cow to compliment Kamara.

- Third round, here I will go best receiver available. I frankly don’t know who will be available, but I know I want a guy that can be chain mover on third downs, taking the Lance Moore/Willie Snead role.

- Fourth round, I am not sure if he will be available here, but if so I would love the saints to get Boston College RB A.J. Dillon. This guy is a monster, can block, get the short yardage and has real soft hands. Besides that, he is an accomplished big bodied running back. I would use him as our fulllback, giving us our own version of Kyle Juszczyk. If he is not availble, I will also take a look at Kelton Moore of Nevada. Not as good as Dillon, but another versatile fullback that can do everything on the field.

After that, I would look for the best value for our lines, we had some success in later rounds with Carl Nicks, Jahri Evans, even Will Clapp.

The later rounds is also time to take flyers on players that fall for different reasons. So any kind of depth, at defensive or offensive lines are always welcomed.

I would love also to find a good all-around tight end, but I find it really difficult a prospect that can stay on the roster and be better then the combo Cook-Hill-Hill. This tight end class is not very good, but you can get the same results from the fullback position, so my preference is to get either Dillon or Moore.

The depth, not the circumstances, will make this one a very interesting draft.
 
Good depth at WR and RB, but not so much elsewhere. There are 2 or 3 great prospects at most positions, but it drops off badly after that.

Knowing Payton's history, he'll probably go OL, DB, or RB at 24. It's not likely a great OL or DB will fall to us, but a great RB could. CEH has the skill set Payton likes, but could be gone at 24, it will be close.

I think there's only 2-3 very good LB prospects, but I guess the top 2 will be long gone at 24.
 
Good depth at WR and RB, but not so much elsewhere. There are 2 or 3 great prospects at most positions, but it drops off badly after that.

Knowing Payton's history, he'll probably go OL, DB, or RB at 24. It's not likely a great OL or DB will fall to us, but a great RB could. CEH has the skill set Payton likes, but could be gone at 24, it will be close.

I think there's only 2-3 very good LB prospects, but I guess the top 2 will be long gone at 24.

I have no problem getting any of the projected first roundlinebackers. Any of them will provide the same flexibility that our current players have of being able to play different positions.

Running back is really intriguing considering the talent available at #24. If we really like one chances are we can sill trade down and get him.

I don’t really see good options at eithe offensive or defensive linemen. We are too far to get the better prospects there.

And secondary? I do love McKinney, but I don’t think he will be available at our pick. Not sure if Delpit will fit.
 
OG for me in the later rounds, depth is always important.

I was thinking what is needed most, an interior or exterior offensive linemen, I will go with the latter. I think Easton and Clapp are good backup options at centre and guard. I know we can always move Peat outside if something happens to Armstead, but I think we should look for a better option outside than what we currently have.
 
Good analysis of what we know and acknowledgment of what we do not know.

There is no player and no position that would surprise me, but LB-WR-RB is a good priority list. But I would put OG or CB third.

Of course, it will probably work out differently on draft day because Ireland will see the value that we do not.
 
I think we are still 2-3 players away from having a team that can win it all.

We have a very good team, but the results of the last 3 seasons have shown us we don’t have the right horses when it is all on the line.

The players that I would like to see added before the season are....

1) dynamic defensive player in the front 7
2) offensive playmaker
3) blocking TE/WR/FB

1) On defense, it seems as if we can’t get off the field at times especially in two-minute situations. We are missing that surge of pressure and nastiness from the front 7 that can flip the momentum of a game. Rankins and Davenport have shown flashes of that but they can’t seem to stay healthy. We need to find a LB or Edge player who can cover and run with rb’s and te’s and also provide some pressure off the edge. Unless we can move up for Simmons and Chaisson, I think we need to trade back into the second and acquire more picks. I don’t believe Queen, Murray or Braun are first round talent. Out of the three, I prefer Braun the most, who I think will be available in the mid-second round.

2) If we don’t move from the 24th pick, and we still need to add a WR2 not named Emanuel Sanders, then we should draft Tee Higgins. Higgins would be an instant mismatch with his size and speed. If we don’t acquire a second round pick, I would like for the saints to move up from the third and pick up either Dobbins or Helaire-Edwards. Both backs Can contribute to the rush and passing game from Day 1. Nice insurance to have for Kamara and Murray.

3) We have been missing that key blocker for a couple of seasons now. Hoomanawanui was great when he was here, Coleman was key with downfield blocks, Line was good too but limited to coming out of the backfield. I think there is really only one player in this draft that fits this mold, Devin Asiasi out of UCLA. I think we can get him in the later rounds.

With these three roles/positions filled I think we become a complete team. Do I think we need more depth at OL and CB of course, but I think the starting talent is good enough there to get us to the championship.

A different direction I see the front office going is to draft Eason with the 24th pick, I think he is the best qb prospect in this draft.

Who Dat!
 
Hagzilla, I feel very comfortable with any of the 3 linebackers in the first round. All have different qualities and it depends on what the staff wants in order to see which will be better for the team. I see Queen mainly as a WILL, Murray as a MIKE and Baun as a SAM.

The only other player I would love for us to pick is McKinney, and maybe even Delpit. But word here between many fellow members who are LSU fans is that Delpit may be to inconsistent for us.

As a versatile TE/FB, take a look at A.J. Dillon, the guy is a monster and can play either running or full back.



Finally, about Eason, I saw Todd McShay and Louis Riddick discussing him after the combine and both have heard that his interviews with teams were terrible. It didn't seemed that the guy understood the importance of those interviews and his disposition was not ideal. If true, I don't think he will be a prospect for us.
 
Guillermo, you should know by now that ESPN is full of clowns and get paid to say certain things. Here is what they said about his interview....

“He was too comfortable,” McShay said Thursday on ESPN’s NFL Live. “He thought that he owned the room. He doesn’t understand the magnitude of all this.” “I saw him live against BYU. And it was one of the best-quarterbacked performances I saw live all season long,” McShay said. “He has it in him. Then I studied the tape of his last five games, and it was up and down, up and down — inconsistent. Then I talked to a couple of people I really trust with quarterbacks in the last 48 hours, and the meetings are not going well.”

McShay goes on to say that Fromm is a better prospect, give me a break.
 
“He was too comfortable,” McShay said Thursday on ESPN’s NFL Live. “He thought that he owned the room. He doesn’t understand the magnitude of all this.”

I like a confident, self-assured QB that's comfortable in any situation. All CEO's are, and that's what a QB should be, the team CEO. Of course the coaches and scouts have to find out what this is about, and go into it with their eyes wide open. Confident and even a little cocky is good, quirky is usually bad.
 
As a versatile TE/FB, take a look at A.J. Dillon, the guy is a monster and can play either running or full back.

Love Dillon, he reminds me of The Bus. It's scary to think he will get more strength and muscle.

He is rated too low to take in round 1, and too high to take in round 3, so I don't see a path for the Saints to get him.
 
Love Dillon, he reminds me of The Bus. It's scary to think he will get more strength and muscle.

He is rated too low to take in round 1, and too high to take in round 3, so I don't see a path for the Saints to get him.

Didn’t hear much about Dillon during the season. It would be nice to pair him with Kamara.
 
I hope everyone is having a great Easter weekend and at the same time, behaving in order to keep good health.

I start this post stating that these are basic opinions, coming from an amateur mind. I won't claim to watch tape or have deep knowledge about football and/or scouting, it's just my uneducated opinions and wishes.

Here are my thoughts for next year draft:

- First round

Right now as I check our roster many mock drafts, I think we are in an ideal spot to take one really good linebacker. Before picking one, I want to review an important quality that our current players have, flexibility: Demario Davis can play MIKE or WILL, Alex Anzalone can easily play SAM or MIKE, Kiko and Robertson can play all 3 positions. Ellis is the only one I see stablished in a single position as MIKE.

Of the candidates, Murray is ideal at MIKE, Baun at SAM and Queen at the WILL. To me, any of the bring also flexibility and it may all depend on the qualities the coaches and staff see in them. Of course, availability will be a factor.

Trade down? Only if we can fix to get one of these 3 players.

Prospects that may you double think your strategy if they start following? I only have two: safety Xavier McKinney and WR Henry Ruggs.

McKinney can provide incredible flexibility on the design of our defence. We will play mostly with 2 linebackers and with either McKinney or Malcolm Jenkins playing on the old role of Troy Polamalu all over the field. Add Chauncey Gardiner-Johnson and man, try to read that defence.

The other player will contradict everything I will write later, but Henry Ruggs is a player you have to take if you can. People are thinking on him as a burner (not ideal for Drew right now) but I see him differently. Putting Ruggs on the move on third and short-medium range will force teams to play zone (you can’t play man on him because of his quick separation), that will open more space for Sanders, Cook, Thomas and Kamara. Only way I can see him falling a little is if teams decide that with so many receivers available it is not a priority to pick one early.

Surprise pick? Wiconsin’s RB Jonathan Taylor. He reminds me a lot of Mark Ingram coming out of college. Not precisely how he plays, but because of his leadership, versatility and around of where we are picking. I can see Coach Payton really liking the guy, who can contribute on the first year on the Pierre Thomas role and later being the bell cow to compliment Kamara.

- Third round, here I will go best receiver available. I frankly don’t know who will be available, but I know I want a guy that can be chain mover on third downs, taking the Lance Moore/Willie Snead role.

- Fourth round, I am not sure if he will be available here, but if so I would love the saints to get Boston College RB A.J. Dillon. This guy is a monster, can block, get the short yardage and has real soft hands. Besides that, he is an accomplished big bodied running back. I would use him as our fulllback, giving us our own version of Kyle Juszczyk. If he is not availble, I will also take a look at Kelton Moore of Nevada. Not as good as Dillon, but another versatile fullback that can do everything on the field.

After that, I would look for the best value for our lines, we had some success in later rounds with Carl Nicks, Jahri Evans, even Will Clapp.

The later rounds is also time to take flyers on players that fall for different reasons. So any kind of depth, at defensive or offensive lines are always welcomed.

I would love also to find a good all-around tight end, but I find it really difficult a prospect that can stay on the roster and be better then the combo Cook-Hill-Hill. This tight end class is not very good, but you can get the same results from the fullback position, so my preference is to get either Dillon or Moore.

The depth, not the circumstances, will make this one a very interesting draft.


Baun's stock might be dropping since he tested positive for a diluted sample. He would be a steal if the Saints can get him in a later round.

I will not be surprised if the Saints pick Jordan Love or Jonathan Taylor with their 1st round pick.
 

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