When it comes to the New Orleans Saints and the NFL Draft this season, they might want to take a look at what their NFC South brethren have done in the last few years. Look at the other three teams in the division and what they’ve done in the NFL Draft and you’ll see one common thread: they are getting players from LSU.
The Atlanta Falcons definitely love the Bayou Bengals as they snatched up Deion Jones not long after the Saints picked up Michael Thomas. Keep in mind that the Saints traded up in the second round so they had a good chance at picking up a good player defensively to help them out with linebacker depth. It’s a little bit of hindsight as the Saints had no idea that their breakout rookie Hau’oli Kikaha would be out for the year, James Laurinaitis being released during the season, and Stephone Anthony underperforming. The year before that, they picked up Jalen Collins who definitely had a huge impact in last week’s NFC title game.
Tampa Bay is another team that was enjoying the services of former Tiger Kwon Alexander before his rookie season was derailed by a four-game suspension. The Saints need to take note of this trend if they want to find success in 2017.
Saints and LSU Haven’t Mixed Lately
When it comes to the Saints and the Tigers, it seems like they’re very tentative about picking a player up. Since the year 2000, only two players have been drafted by New Orleans: Devery Henderson in 2004 and Al Woods in 2010. While Henderson had a good career while wearing the black and gold until 2012, Al Woods didn’t do a whole lot during his time in the Crescent City.
The most telling part of all this is that the Saints haven’t picked up an LSU player in the last few years when they’ve been coming in and making an immediate impact in the NFL. Here’s a few of those names to refresh your memory: Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson, Odell Beckham Jr. and I could go on and on about these NFL stars. They’ve instead whiffed on several draft picks and spent too much money on big names who don’t pan out.
Is Change Coming Soon?
Recent news seems to show that maybe the Saints are looking at players from LSU in the 2017 draft. During this week’s Senior Bowl, they’ve been talking to players like Tre’Davious White and Travin Dural. It seems like things have turned around when it comes to how they’re looking at the Bayou Bengals in the near future.
The view on LSU may be changing because of the change at the top with Ed Orgeron becoming the new head coach. It seems to be that way because he was the defensive line coach for them during the 2008 season before accepting a job at Tennessee under then-head coach Lane Kiffin. It also has been said that the relationship between the two is very good and that would help them out in terms of finding out what these players are all about.
Who Should They Draft from LSU?
The Saints need to look heavily into the defensive side of the ball and Tre’Davious White needs to put at the top of that list of players from LSU. White has been a great defensive player and a team leader and could really help address a huge need at the cornerback position. Some mock drafts have the Saints picking him up, but if you can get a good defensive end like Derek Barnett in the first round at number 11, they have to trade up late in the first to snatch him up. However, he did get injured during Senior Bowl practices. If it turns out to be a bad thing, his stock might drop significantly and the Saints will need to adjust accordingly and still keep him in mind.
-Clint Domingue