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New Orleans Saints select Alvin Dupree, Malcom Brown in NFL Nation Mock Draft

By Andrew Schuster

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ESPN team reporters got together Monday for the NFL Nation mock draft.  New Orleans Saints writer Mike Triplett announced the Black and Gold’s selections, sending Kentucky DE/OLB Alvin ‘Bud’ Dupree at pick 13 and Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown at 31 to Sean Payton and company.

With guys like Clemson DE/OLB Vic Beasley and Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton off the board, Dupree is a safe bet at 13.  New Orleans’ pass rush was absent for a majority of the season in 2014, leading to more time in the pocket, better reads and more accurate throws by opposing quarterbacks, which ultimately haunted the secondary.

Dupree is a big body (6-foot-4, 296 pounds), finding success as a pass rusher due to his extraordinary physical attributes and near-flawless technique. The Kentucky product offers long arms, flexibility and an explosive burst for teams in the market for a player who can both attack the quarterback and stop the run.

He knows how to locate the football and makes a number of plays by chasing down ball carriers. Dupree owns a strong work ethic, returning for his senior year to help improve Kentucky’s program and earn a respectable degree in Community and Leadership Development.

Here at Who Dat Dish, we’ve had several mock drafts sending Dupree to the Saints:

Post-Combine 2015 NFL Mock Draft

Updated 5-Round Mock

Post-Combine 7-Round Saints Mock

Saints 7-Round Carousel

As for Malcom Brown, he somehow fell to New Orleans at 31, which is unlikely.  Mike Triplett made the right decision to snag him for what was a “best player available” pick.

The New Orleans Saints are in need of a defensive tackle — Brodrick Bunkley just isn’t cutting it and John Jenkins plays with a bit of an inconsistency.  Brown is more suited for a 4-3 alignment, but he has the tools to learn a 3-4.  Plus, New Orleans tends to mix up their schemes.

The defense struggled mightily at stopping the run last season — Brown could change that.  With light feet, fluid athleticism and a bit of power, the former Longhorn has the tools to develop into a solid pass rusher in the NFL as well — another area the Saints lacked in.

Brown is quick off the ball, shows great awareness and possesses rare change-of-direction skills for a guy his size.  The best part about him is maturity, which coaches love to see.  Brown has a wife and two kids and is already an active member in the community, volunteering for a program for families who have children with cancer or have lost young ones to the gruesome disease.

It’s not a bad mock, but it’s also not the real deal.  The official draft is just days away, kicking off Thursday evening in Chicago.  Who do you want to see the New Orleans Saints target with their two first-round picks?  Comments are welcome.

Next: Saints' 2015 Schedule

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