Saints NFL Draft: 3 out-of-the-box first-round options

Christian Barmore, DT, University of Alabama

Christian Barmore isn’t expected to go until the middle of the second round. However, he plays a position that the Saints need and he comes from a university that is known for producing NFL-type talent right out of college.

With the inevitable departure of star defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, the Saints will be in need of a player to fill that role. Now, they did still have quality defensive tackles. So there might be a chance that the Saints draft this position to fill the role behind Shy Tuttle or Malcolm Brown.

Barmore has only been in college for two years and has already made a name for himself. He’s totaled 10.0 sacks and 15.5 tackles for a loss in just 22 college football games. The disruption that Barmore causes on the line is very visible.

He almost averages one tackle for a loss per game and one sack in every two games. If the Saints were to stretch and pick Barmore in the first round, I don’t think that he will return void. With the right coaching and team, Barmore could be an NFL starter in year one.