WDD: New Orleans Saints Mock Draft Madness v3.0 (Final)
By John Hendrix
Feb 23, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Marqise Lee participates in a pass catching drill during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
We’re almost here! The 2014 NFL Draft is set to kickoff this Thursday at 7PM CST. We’re just two short days away until we know who the New Orleans Saints will select with the #27 overall pick. I have little doubt in my mind that you’ve already been filled with hundreds of other mock drafts, but in the off-chance that you haven’t, here’s my final installment.
Here’s some ‘need to know’ for this draft before we get started.
- It’s a draft simulator via Fanspeak’s On the Clock
- All picks are automated except for the New Orleans Saints
- WalterFootball is the source of the player rankings
- To keep up with the majority of the mock expert picks, go here: Mock Draft Overload
2014 NFL Draft, Round 1 – Pick by Pick:
- Houston Texans – DE, Jadeveon Clowney
- St. Louis Rams – OT, Greg Robinson
- Jacksonville Jaguars – QB, Teddy Bridgewater
- Cleveland Browns – WR, Sammy Watkins
- Oakland Raiders – OLB, Khalil Mack
- Atlanta Falcons – OT, Jake Matthews
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – QB, Blake Bortles
- Minnesota Vikings – WR, Mike Evans
- Buffalo Bills – S, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
- Detroit Lions – OLB, Anthony Barr
- Tennessee Titans – QB, Johnny Manziel
- New York Giants – DE, Kony Ealy
- St. Louis Rams – OLB, Kyle Van Noy
- Chicago Bears – DT, Aaron Donald
- Pittsburgh Steelers – OT, Zack Martin
- Dallas Cowboys – DE, Trent Murphy
- Baltimore Ravens – CB, Jason Verrett
- New York Jets – TE, Eric Ebron
- Miami Dolphins – CB, Justin Gilbert
- Arizona Cardinals – ILB, Chris Borland
- Green Bay Packers – OT, Taylor Lewan
- Philadelphia Eagles – WR, Brandin Cooks
- Kansas City Chiefs – WR, Odell Beckham Jr.
- Cincinnati Bengals – S, Calvin Pryor
- San Diego Chargers – CB, Darqueze Dennard
- Cleveland Browns – G, Xavier Su’a-Filo
- New Orleans Saints – WR, Marqise Lee
- Carolina Panthers – OT, Joel Bitonio
- New England Patriots – DT, Louis Nix
- San Francisco 49ers – CB, Bradley Roby
- Denver Broncos – G, David Yankey
- Seattle Seahawks – OT, Morgan Moses
Here’s the dilemma I faced with the Saints pick.
So, if you were Mickey Loomis, wouldn’t you take the best player available at this point? Given the philosophy the Saints stick to, it’s safe to say that the obvious decision would be to draft Marqise Lee of USC.
Combine Notes
- Combine Profile
- 4.43 40-yard dash
- Broad Jump: 127″ (Combine Top Performer)
- Vertical Jump: 38″
- 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.01 seconds
- 40-Yard Shuttle: 4.52 seconds
Physical Attributes
- Height: 6’0″
- Weight: 192 lbs
- Hands: 9 1/2″
- Arm Length: 31 3/4″
Saints’ Track History – Previous First Round Picks Used On Wide Receivers
- 2007 – Robert Meachem, Tennessee
- 2002 – Donté Stallworth, Tennessee
- 1982 – Lindsay Scott, Georgia
- 1978 – Wes Chandler, Florida
- 1995 – Robert Fields, Washington State
- 1985 – Alvin Toles, Tennessee
- 1974 – Rick Middleton, Ohio State
Why It Makes Sense for the Saints: Taking the best player available in the draft is pretty smart, assuming you can benefit from that position. In the team’s case, wide receiver makes sense. Lee has previously visited with the team, which gives him bonus points. The ‘straight-line speed’ that Lee is able to exhibit can make for some very potent looks for the New Orleans Saints offense. The team has four receivers with true NFL experience: Marques Colston, Robert Meachem, Kenny Stills, and Joe Morgan. The Saints could gain a true impact from day one. Along with Kenny Stills, and possibly Nick Toon, we could be looking at the future receiving corp for the New Orleans Saints.
The Reality: Although Lee has tremendous upside, there exists some concern with the injuries. Should the team bring in Lee, there will definitely be a big odd man out of the picture in New Orleans. Remember that the team mostly played four wide receivers in regular season games last season (Nick Toon was the odd man out). Bringing in Lee will most likely mean that someone like Andy Tanner or Nick Toon will most assuredly not make the final roster.
John’s Previous Mock Draft Selections:
- OLB Ryan Shazier (4/29)
- WR Odell Beckham Jr. (4/21)
- OLB/DE Dee Ford (4/14)
- OT Zack Martin (January)
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