New Orleans Saints: 3 combine players to watch Friday

Texas Christian, OT, Lucas Niang

With Peat likely being gone in free agency, the Saints will be looking for a replacement in the late stages of the draft. Tackle Lucas Niang from TCU offers a huge upside and could end up being better than Peat was in New Orleans.

Niang’s best trait is his athleticism. At 6-foot-7 328 pounds, Niang is a monster on the line. He has a huge ability to be able to run block and as well as pass block even continuing the play down the field by blocking as well.

He has a dynamic base and his hands have improved over the course of his senior season. He avoids getting pulled out of position and can easily shake twists, blocks, and blitzes. His mobility is going to give him great success with the Saints.

However, his biggest downfall stems from a hip injury he sustained this year.

Because of that hip injury, his worst traits are his pass sets. He seemed more restrictive after his injury than he did the years previous to his injury. While it is a cause for concern, it shouldn’t matter too much.