NOLA Saints go all in on offense in 2-round mock draft

Round 2: Pick 49 – Bernhard Raimann

Ah, the final prong to the Saints’ offensive rookie trifecta. Central Michigan’s Bernhard Raimann has been rapidly moving up the draft board in recent weeks, so seeing him fall to the middle of Round 2 is a very welcome sight indeed.

Also, all three of the top offensive tackles (Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu, Charles Cross) were taken in the top-10 of this mock. Raimann, it could be argued, is the next best option.

Raimann has followed one of the more unorthodox paths to the draft having spent time in Austria during his teenage years, served in the military, and played as a tight end for two collegiate seasons. He has just 18 career starts at left tackle. 18.

At 25-years-old, Raimann’s advanced age may be cause for concern to some teams, and compared to other recruits he’s quite new to his position. But that just means his ceiling could be much, much higher in the NFL.

Named to Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List,” Raimann’s athletic measurables are jaw-dropping:

"He’s up to 304 pounds but ran a 4.60 shuttle with a 33-inch vertical and a 9-7 1/2 broad jump and a 1.56 10-yard sprint to go with a 450-pound bench press. On the field, he’s spent a bunch of time in the offseason working with renowned NFL line coach Paul Alexander to polish his game."

With the Saints desperately looking for Terron Armstead’s replacement, Raimann offers a great second-round option with plenty of room to grow. Given how quickly he has improved his skills in the past few years, Raimann could make an immediate impact as a Day 1 starter for the Saints.

Unless the Saints trade up to nab a top offensive tackle, they won’t do much better than Raimann.