The 'early' 7-Round New Orleans Saints mock draft

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Jan 1, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (1) celebrates his ten-yard touchdown catch against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second quarter of the 2016 Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /

Round 1, Pick 12

Previous choice: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA

Players left on board: A’Shawn Robinson, DT (Alabama); Andrew Billings, DT (Baylor); Sheldon Rankins, DT (Louisville); Darron Lee, LB (Ohio State); Noah Spence, LB (Eastern Kentucky)

Where do I even begin? The selection of Laquon Treadwell, arguably the top wide receiver prospect in the draft this season, is something I have been heavily against. That is, up until now. The thought process stems from several angles.

For starters, the New Orleans Saints haven’t entertained any veteran wide receivers (at least that we’ve heard about). While that may not feel like a big deal to some of you, it does beg the question whether the team will roll with the seven wide receivers on the roster. The only issue that presents is having Brandon Coleman, Willie Snead, and Brandin Cooks as the only game ready presences for Drew Brees.

The second angle, which helps bring the reason for selecting Treadwell, would be only because of the recent activity in free agency. The Saints have focused primarily on defense, signing James Laurinaitis and Nathan Stupar. They’ve stayed heavily interested in bolstering their defensive line with visits from Nick Fairley and Jason Hatcher. I have to believe that the Saints are feeling good with what they have defensively, and could shift around players like Hau’oli Kikaha and Davis Tull as the team’s right defensive end opposite of Cameron Jordan.

The last angle lies in reading between the lines. Sean Payton went public on ESPN before the NFL Combine to say how he doesn’t see dominant receivers in this class that draw comparison to Julio Jones. However, he did say that he was anxious to see the tape on several receivers, which may show that the Saints could look for one at some point in the draft. Wide receivers coach John Morton recently talked about the process of the Combine, and it further sounded like the team has receivers in mind.

Obviously, I could be absolutely wrong about these angles. Laquon Treadwell may not even be the receiver they’re looking for, as he didn’t exactly impress at the NFL Combine. He didn’t run the 40-yard dash, and didn’t do well in the vertical and broad jump. However, we’ve seen year after year that a strong Combine performance doesn’t mean much. Treadwell has a chance at redemption at Ole Miss Pro Day on March 28, but the film on him shows a very strong blocker (which Payton loves out of his receivers) and a polished route runner on slants, quick outs, hooks, and curls. All of those short routes are common with Sean Payton’s offense, which would make Treadwell a strong fit in the Crescent City.

Next: Round 2