The Who Dat Daily/Gee Balance

New Orleans, LA – The New Orleans Saints recently had their 2019-20 Full Regular Season Schedule released & its pretty tough. The Saints know they have an uphill climb back to the NFC Championship Game once again & their going to need some help from the draft. Here’s the 1st Who Dat Daily New Orleans Saints Full Mock Draft covering my thoughts on who will be available when the team picks.

*The Saints traded their 1st round pick last year to the Green Bay Packers for the privilege to draft Edge Rusher Marcus Davenport. 

                                         2nd Round Pick 62- OL Chris Lindstrom Boston College 

The Saints have a serious need to address the 6th lineman position. The injuries to All-Pro Tackle Terron Armstead, interior O-lineman Andrus Peat (who has a year remaining on his contract)showed last season the team needed to look to address this need in the draft for depth.

Lindstrom 6-4 308 lbs has played Guard & Tackle for Boston College has the talent to pick up the system right away. He would be a steal if the Golden Eagle product fall this far as he is slated as a day 1 selection.

Here’s some of the scouting report:  Lindstrom is one of the most athletic interior lineman in the 2019 draft with a rare ability to match movement quickness with anyone across from him. His quickness can place him in position to make blocks on both the first and second levels and he has an impressive ability to cover lateral space and protect his gaps as a pass blocker. Lindstrom is scrappy at the point of attack but lacks the length, mass and strength some teams will want. His final destination could be as a guard/center in a zone scheme where he can become a long-time starter.

*The Saints 2019 3rd Round Pick was sent to acquire QB Teddy Bridgewater from the New York Jets.

*The Saints 2019 4th Round Pick was sent to acquire DB Eli Apple from the New York Giants. 

                                     5th Round Pick 168 – CB Trayvon Mullins Clemson

The Saints are counting on the 100% healthy return of slot corner Patrick Robinson. The team also resigned DB P.J. Williams, tendered DB Ken Crawley & signed DB/KR Marcus Sherels from Minnesota. Mullins 6-1 200 lbs ran a 4.46 at the combine, has a broad jump of 34.5 inches & is just the long rangy corner the team needs heading into the future.

Scouting Report: Long press-corner who can clog up the release but is more reactive than instinctive in coverage. Mullen can be a little inconsistent in anticipating route breaks, which can open small throwing windows, but his loose hips and response burst helps him latch back onto tight coverage. If Mullen can improve pattern recognition and reading the quarterback, the ball production should follow. He has Day 2 draft talent as an outside corner and could compete for a CB2 spot within a couple of years.

                                                   6th Round Pick 177 – S Malik Gant Marshall

The Saints released veteran safety Kurt Coleman who massively underachieved with the team last year in the 3rd safety role. Gant 6-0 210 lbs provides the Saints with an excellent option for an aggressive, physical safety with some coverage ability. The Marshall product was named Marshall’s team MVP after the 2018 season and also received first-team all-conference honors after making 95 tackles, nine for loss, intercepting two passes and breaking up eight others.

Scouting Report: Hard-hitting safety with coverage limitations on the back-end and in man-to-man, but an infectious aggression in run support that is never in short supply. Unlike some safeties who are content to linger from behind the action, Gant has no desire of inaction and comes rushing into the box looking to bang. Gant is a responsible and aware in coverage, but is relatively untested by top-end talent. He’s too tough and consistent as a run-thumper to overlook and could factor as a backup down safety with eventual starting talent who shines on special teams.

                                 6th Round Pick 202 – Edge Rusher Jalen Jelks Oregon

Jelks provides the team with an extra edge rusher in waiting. The 6-5 260 lb has long arms and the ability to be disruptive posting solid numbers as a senior (57 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 3.5 sacks in 12 starts) He was voted Pac-10 first-team all-conference. The Saints are still in the waiting position on Ziggy Ansah so getting Jelks would be good value here in the bottom of the sixth round.

Scouting Report: Long-limbed edge worker who might be best suited as a 3-4 outside linebacker unless he can add much-needed strength and mass. As a junior interior defender, Jelks was often physically outmatched, but he showed the tenacity and talent to still be productive and disruptive. Some teams will struggle with where he fits from a position standpoint, but he could challenge for reps early in his career as a designated pass rusher along the interior in sub-packages.

                                                7th Round Pick 231 – WR David Sills W Virginia

Sills 6-3 211 lbs is a smooth route runner who is excellent in space, gets the 50/50 ball & is a serious red zone target. He isn’t the fastest receiver in the world but he has the uncanny ability to get open & make the play.

The Saints definitely need more playmakers in the WR room and Sills would develop into an excellent player down the line. He started all 12 games for WVU his senior year, suiting up for the bowl game despite the fact others bowed out to prepare for the draft.

Scouting Report: Tall, thin target with below-average play strength and separation ability, but very impressive ball skills to compete when it’s in the air. Sills won’t see as many free releases and easy long balls on the next level. He needs to get stronger and more efficient with his press release technique and dig into the craft of route-running to make himself a more viable first and second-level target. He should continue to improve but the transition to the pros could be challenging early on.

                                                7th Round Pick 244 – TE Keenan Brown Texas St

Brown 6-2 250 lbs is a former WR who has since moved to TE and become very successful for Texas St. He wound up leading the Bobcats with 47 receptions for 556 yards (11.8 average) and five touchdowns in 11 starts. The Saints signed former Raider All-Pro TE Jared Cook to a deal for a few seasons. The depth chart behind Cook is Josh Hill (who signed a 3 year deal earlier this season, Dan Arnold & Garrett Griffin currently.

Scouting Report: Challenging sample size to sift through with one year of production and only three big games inside that season. At best, Brown is a below-average blocker who will need plenty of work and additional grit before he’s ready to handle those chores in the NFL. However, his athletic ability and play speed both before and after the catch might make him a project that teams are willing to take on and develop as a Day 3 flier.

The Saints might look to move around in this draft or simply sit back and let things come to them. With Brees age & the teams win now mentality the Saints most certainly can use solid depth to build on moving ahead. If you enjoyed this mock please share & comment!