WDD: New Orleans Saints Mock Draft Madness
By John Hendrix
Aug 31, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; LSU Tigers receiver Odell Beckham Jr (3) can not come up with the catch against Texas Christian Horned Frogs cornerback Jason Verrett (2) in the third quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
We’re just under seventeen days until we know who the New Orleans Saints will select with the #27 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft on May 8. By now, you’ve certainly read a ton of other Mock Drafts that are out there, and I applaud you if your head hasn’t exploded. Well, here’s another that may help your chances.
Last week, I brought you a Mock Draft Overload, which highlighted the expert/analyst choices for the Saints. I used Fanspeak’s On the Clock Draft Simulator to bring you my selection:
2014 NFL Draft, Round 1 – Pick by Pick:
- Houston Texans – OLB, Khalil Mack
- St. Louis Rams – OT, Taylor Lewan
- Jacksonville Jaguars – OT, Greg Robinson
- Cleveland Browns – QB, Blake Bortles
- Oakland Raiders – DE, Jadeveon Clowney
- Atlanta Falcons – OT, Jake Matthews
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – WR, Sammy Watkins
- Minnesota Vikings – QB, Teddy Bridgewater
- Buffalo Bills – S, Calvin Pryor
- Detroit Lions – OLB, Anthony Barr
- Tennessee Titans – QB, Johnny Manziel
- New York Giants – OT, Zack Martin
- St. Louis Rams – WR, Marqise Lee
- Chicago Bears – DT, Dominique Easley
- Pittsburgh Steelers – DT, Aaron Donald
- Dallas Cowboys – DE, Kony Ealy
- Baltimore Ravens – CB, Bradley Roby
- New York Jets – WR, Brandin Cooks
- Miami Dolphins – CB, Justin Gilbert
- Arizona Cardinals – QB, Derek Carr
- Green Bay Packers – TE, Jace Amaro
- Philadelphia Eagles – WR, Mike Evans
- Kansas City Chiefs – TE, Eric Ebron
- Cincinnati Bengals – OLB, Ryan Shazier
- San Diego Chargers – DT, Louis Nix III
- Cleveland Browns – WR, Davante Adams
- New Orleans Saints – WR, Odell Beckham Jr.
- Carolina Panthers – S, Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix
- New England Patriots – DT, Ra’Shede Hagemen
- San Francisco 49ers – CB, Darqueze Dennard
- Denver Broncos – G, Xavier Su’a-Filo
- Seattle Seahawks – OT, Cyrus Kouandjio
Odell Beckham Jr. of LSU was sitting there staring me in the face at pick #27. I couldn’t resist.
Combine Notes
- Combine Profile
- 4.43 40-yard dash
- 3.94 second 20-yard shuttle (Combine Top Performer)
- 10.93 second 60-yard shuttle (Combine Top Performer)
- Vertical Jump: 38 1/2″
Physical Attributes
- Height: 5’11
- Weight: 198 lbs
- Hands: 10″
- Arm Length: 32 3/4″
Saints’ Track History – Previous (But Not All) First Round Picks Used On Receivers
- 2007 – Robert Meachem, Tennessee
- 2002 – Donté Stallworth, Tennessee
- 1982 – Lindsay Scott, Georgia
- 1978 – Wes Chandler, Florida
Why It Makes Sense for the Saints: Why doesn’t it? Beckham is a Top 5 or Top 3 wide receiver prospect on virtually any draft board you read. Most weaknesses tied to Beckham are around his height and top-end speed. While that may pose a problem, the versatility of Beckham would instantly give him a leg up in the return game for the New Orleans Saints. Beckham has great vision, and simply just ‘makes it happen’. The Saints have a lot of receivers on the roster, but most of which are a giant question mark of consistency outside of veterans Marques Colston and Robert Meachem.
The Reality: Beckham Jr. is a huge pipe dream for the Saints, and it doesn’t seem that he’ll last until 27th. The New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams, and Philadelphia Eagles have been paired to being potential fits for Beckham Jr., and each of those teams are in dire need of another wide receiver who can be on the field working from Day 1. We can dream, but unless general manager Mickey Loomis plans on trading up and sacrificing the ‘depth’ in this year’s draft, then we won’t see Beckham in New Orleans.
Previous Mock Draft Notes:
- Last week, I agreed that Auburn OLB/DE Dee Ford would be a perfect fit for the team.
- In January, I was a part of a FanSided Mock Draft hosted by Factory of Sadness. In that mock draft, I was able to select Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin at #27. Since that point, Martin has skyrocketed up multiple analyst mock drafts, so this likely wouldn’t be a realistic choice.