Long post about draft wishes

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.