My Post Rob Ryan Saints Mock Draft

My Post Rob Ryan Saints Mock Draft

Round 1: DE Sheldon Richardson - 3-4 DE - A perfect fit in our new 1 gap 3-4 defense. Richardson has great speed and catches guys from behind which is evident of his extremely high motor. Our JJ Watt of our new 1 gap 3-4. Extremely fiery player that our defensive line could use after Will Smith is gone and has the best motor in the draft. He has amazing burst off the line for a guy his size and can really generate inside pressure. He never gives up on a play and is a great leader. I see Hicks playing DE across from Jordan on run downs and moving to NT on passing downs and having Richardson take over for him at DE. With Floyd sky rocketing up boards and now reportedly a lock top 10 pick, Richardson should definitely be there.

Richardson is a fiery player who has some potential to be a leader in the locker room. Richardson was impossible not to notice when watching tape of the Tigers; he was all over the field. If plays went away from him, Richardson would give tremendous effort to run across the field and get in on tackles. Because he is extremely fast, he was able to have an impact with that effort. Richardson got in on tackles over 10 yards down the field on wide receivers after receptions.

Stats:

The redshirt junior totaled 75 tackles in 2012, a staggering number for a defensive tackle. He also had 10.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, three passes batted and three forced fumbles.

Player Comparison: JJ Watt - He has a tremendous motor like JJ but has a much better burst off the line and speed. JJ is however stronger.

DRAFT PROSPECT: DT Sheldon Richardson

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Sheldon Richardson*, DT, Missouri
Height: 6-4. Weight: 295.
Projected 40 Time: 5.17.
Projected Round (2013): Top-25.
12/22/12: Richardson had a superb season including a great game against Alabama. He had 14 tackles and a sack coming from defensive end against right tackle D.J. Fluker. Richardson flashes the speed to fire the gap and make plays behind the line. He has a non-stop motor and makes a lot of tackles in pursuit. Richardson has one of the best motors of any player in college football. He is truly relentless.

Richardson returned a fumble 60 yards against Kentucky. He couldn't make plays going against guard Larry Warford, but made an impact when taking on other blockers. Richardson was a speedy disruptive force at the point of attack.

The redshirt junior totaled 75 tackles in 2012, a staggering number for a defensive tackle. He also had 10.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, three passes batted and three forced fumbles.

8/25/12: Richardson started two games in 2011 and saw playing time in the defensive-line rotation. He totaled 37 tackles with eight tackles for a loss and two sacks.

The redshirt junior will start in 2012. He played injured as a sophomore and had shoulder surgery that cause him to miss spring practice.

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His game against the best Offensive line in the nation/2 1st round talent interior lineman:

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7x1EGquKKEs" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>

Him against RG3 in 2011, he almost caught him from behind on 1 play:

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fhX_bw1rBJw" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>

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Round 3: Menelik Watson - OT - A great run blocker who is also a freak athlete and has all the physical tools to be a complete player. He is fast and agile and is a former basketball player which could help him a lot in pass blocking as a LT. We can put him and Brown in competition and whoever wins gets the job. Watson is from New England could be a steal in the 3rd.

Menelik Watson*, OT, Florida State
Height: 6-6. Weight: 320.
Projected 40 Time: 5.25.
Projected Round (2013): 2-3.
2/9/13: The Manchester, England product is a freak athlete. The former basketball player is very fast and agile. Watson played right tackle for Florida State, and he'll probably start out there in the NFL. However with his quick feet and athleticism, there is the potential for him to move to left tackle in the future.

Watson was a key cog in the Seminoles featuring a quality rushing offense in 2012. He already looks ready to compete in the NFL as a run-blocker. Watson's pass protection will need some work as he is very inexperienced. Watson may require more development than most early-round picks, but he is an interesting prospect who has a good shot of going on the second day.

Brandon Jenkins, DE/OLB, Florida State
Height: 6-3. Weight: 260.
Projected 40 Time: 4.67.
Projected Round (2013): 2-4.
12/22/12: Jenkins went out for the season with a broken foot in the first week of the season. He would have been better off taking a medical redshirt and returning for his senior season, but he has decided to enter the 2013 NFL Draft instead. Jenkins is more likely to have a big freefall than crack the first round. He had one sack and three tackles against Murray State before the injury.

8/27/12: Jenkins had a breakout season in 2010. A first-year starter at right end, he led Florida State in sacks while the Seminoles led the nation in sacks. Jenkins notched 13.5 sacks with 21.5 tackles for a loss. He had five multi-sack games and was voted the team's MVP.

Jenkins started his junior season slowly. He drew extra blocking coming off his stellar 2010 season, but that helped defensive end Bjoern Werner have a breakout year. Jenkins didn't play well against Oklahoma, but he bounced back against Clemson with a sack and a number of pressures on quarterback Tajh Boyd.

Jenkins finished last year with 41 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and eight sacks. He played better down the stretch as he adjusted to the double-teams and also drew more one-on-one blocking. Jenkins's strength is his pass rushing. He hasn't been a real standout as a run defender.

Jenkins is a speed edge-rusher coming around the corner. He has a nice repertoire of moves to throw at offensive tackles. Jenkins is an excellent athlete who could fit well in a NFL 3-4 defense as an edge rusher. The biggest negative about the senior is that he could be more physical at times.

Jenkins' athletic ability is enough of a mismatch for him to record at least seven sacks this year, and he probably will approach double-digit sacks if not record 10+. That would give him a total of 30 sacks over three seasons, and that kind of production usually spells first-round pick. </td></tr></tbody></table>
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Round 5: Brian Winters - OT - Winters has dominated while at Kent State, he should be able to make the transition. Small school guys always fall and we seem to really like drafting them. Winters could compete for either OT position and could be a great plug in as he is a dominant pass blocker.

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Brian Winters, OT, Kent State
Height: 6-6. Weight: 294.
Projected 40 Time: 5.25.
Projected Round (2013): 3-5.
1/5/13: Winters had a dominant senior season for Kent State and has raised his profile for the NFL. He's been an All-Conference selection since his sophomore season. Winters has accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl and that will be a big test for him against better competition. He needs to add weight for the NFL. </td></tr></tbody></table>

Focus on the LT in this highlight:
<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/B7oe3vOjwxY" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>

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Round 6: Brandon McGee CB - A good man coverage corner with good size at 6'0. He runs somewhere in the 4.4 range and has a pretty high ceiling as a man corner. He could also give White some competition or make him move to S where he was projected.

Brandon McGee, CB, Miami
Height: 6-0. Weight: 190.
Projected 40 Time: 4.48.
Projected Round (2013): 5-6.
1/31/13: McGee recorded 54 tackles, two interceptions four tackles for a loss, one sack and five pass breakups this year. He has talent, but is inconsistent. McGee had a good week at the East-West Shrine to help his draft stock.

9/1/12: McGee has some size and quickness to work with, but he needs to become more consistent in his coverage and also produce some splash plays. McGee broke into the starting lineup last year, making 38 tackles and one interception. However, the junior had only two passes broken up on the season.

McGee has a physical skill set that has pushed up many prospects in the past, but he needs to play up to his potential in 2012. McGee was being pushed for his starting job by star freshman Tracy Howard. If McGee can't hold his spot as a senior, he'll fall to the end of the draft or undrafted ranks.

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7th Round: Cooper Taylor S - He falls this far because of how many games he has missed. He is a freak athlete with great size at 6-5 and great speed to go with it. He could probably help us a ton in stopping the great receiving TEs. He had a meeting with the Saints so they may be interested. He is great in coverage and has great ball skills. He is also decent in run defense. He could come in for Harper on passing downs until he learns everything he needs to know and hopefully take over in a few years.

Cooper Taylor, S, Richmond
Height: 6-5. Weight: 235.
Projected 40 Time: 4.69.
Projected Round (2013): 4-6.
1/31/13: Taylor was one of the standouts of the East-West Shrine. He did well in pass defense and defending the run. The senior totaled 77 tackles with five tackles for a loss, nine passes broken up, three forced fumbles and four interceptions in 2012.

Taylor didn't play much in college, but he has some developmental potential for the NFL. Taylor is also a candidate to move to linebacker.