Here's some of the Senior Bowl prospects that caught our eye during the week in Mobile and where the Saints could be thinking in terms of drafting.
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00:00 Defensive side of the ball, you know now you're looking at I don't think there's too many
00:04 Things to address outside of maybe you might have to look at prioritizing signing some of these free agents
00:11 You missing Lonnie Johnson, you mentioned Jonathan Abram
00:13 I think those are two that you have to resign or should resign
00:16 I think Isaac yet him is probably your top free agent to resign right now at this point just because of the season now you
00:23 Look at him again, you know what you get with Lattimore
00:25 He could take away half the field right when he's on there and when he's on his game
00:29 But you look at a guy like I got him
00:31 I mean him Paulson adebo, which I don't think we talked about enough had an outstanding year
00:35 Alante Taylor all three of those guys were top ten in the NFL and past breakups
00:40 I mean, I think it's a good testament to Joe Woods and Marcus Robertson for the way they teach the game
00:44 You know, I think that's first and foremost, but you look at linebacker question to Mario. He's getting older
00:51 Is it time to look at his replacement?
00:53 You know Pete Warner didn't have the greatest year you didn't get what you needed from the defensive line
00:57 You know Peyton Turner is this gonna be the year he puts together in a contract here
01:01 Are you gonna get what you need from Isaiah Foskey in Cam Jordan? Obviously played hurt
01:05 I think Carl Granderson was probably your best defensive lineman outside of Brian Brzee, which I thought was most in
01:11 You know pleasantly surprised pick that they had that blossom this year, but you know defensively where did the Saints need to go?
01:20 What do you think is their priorities and then we'll talk more about the prospects
01:25 Yeah, I think you learned last year and I think the Saints learned last year that there's real value to having speed and athleticism
01:31 Off the edge Zach Bon at the end of the season really really helped that pass rush at the end of the year
01:37 You might look at the numbers ago two and a half sacks over those last few games
01:39 But look for a team that was sitting in the 30s for the majority of the the back half of the year
01:47 that was a nice sort of
01:49 Boost to get to your your defense and it wasn't just that Zach Bond was getting to the quarterback
01:54 He was creating opportunities for other players to get to the quarterback
01:58 his initial rush may be moved a
02:00 quarterback off the spot and allowed somebody else to get around or just move that quarterback off the spot got them on the run delivering
02:06 inaccurate passes
02:07 He also helped quite a bit
02:09 When those quarterbacks escaped the pocket because he had the speed and athleticism to track them to the sideline
02:14 Either force him to throw it away or even in some cases make the stop
02:18 And so I really think you learned last year through the New Orleans Saints that there's real value
02:24 To maybe go on with the guys that might not be the necessary prototype in terms of six foot four and above
02:29 270 and above pounds or did 60 and above pounds. There's still value to those guys
02:34 Don't get me wrong
02:35 But finding ones that have an adequate amount of speed and athleticism as opposed to the recent
02:41 Sort of focus on speed to power conversion Marcus Davenport Peyton Turner all that
02:46 I could see the value there and I think the Saints see the value there, too
02:50 So I wouldn't be surprised if there's some
02:53 Either by maintaining and keeping Zach bond, which would be impressive
02:56 or
02:58 By bringing in somebody in the open market or through the draft
03:02 I'm not gonna be surprised if we see maybe somebody come in at maybe a more slender frame as a
03:07 Pass rusher that kind of breaks the mold for what the New Orleans Saints have done before
03:11 I don't think the prototype as a whole I think adding to it is valuable. I think it's taught him
03:17 Yeah, I mean and it seems like I mean, that's what bond did in college
03:19 You thought you would have done that more and and again if you're looking at just the sacks
03:23 I don't think that's the right thing because if you look at some of the tape on it against the Bucks
03:26 He was a nightmare to defend. I mean that that the tackle just had a problem
03:30 You can't defend against somebody with that speed and just a quick little move
03:34 I mean, it's just tough and it made Baker Mayfield's, you know night a terrible one, right?
03:39 And so those are types of things that I think when you look at it makes sense and I thought about I floated
03:44 I don't know what his market value is because if I'm a 3-4 scheme team
03:48 I'm looking at what bond could potentially do I might try to look at him
03:51 But I think the Saints they like him as a core special teamer for sure if they can just use him on those third down
03:57 Subrushes, I mean, of course, he was their base Sam linebacker and such but you know again
04:01 It's it's Pete Warner and DeMario at that linebacker spot
04:05 But I think the way you look at ways Zach played you got to give that consume sick some consideration
04:10 it's whether they pay somebody like him a little bit more to be that guy with has a clear role going forward or
04:17 You have to find that prototype or you have to find that type of build as you and mentioned to be able to get them
04:23 In here, you know, I think Peyton Turner, especially we saw it in finale is he plays in those third down packages as well
04:29 But getting those it all hinges because a lot of those games they played with the league, too
04:34 So you have the past rush that just puts the clamps down. It makes sense, right?
04:38 And and so we'll look at it
04:41 But we'll talk about some senior more prospects to the ones that I like with to bond Ray sweat out of Texas
04:46 I think this guy's insane. It's just the way he's able to do things just a big, you know
04:52 Probably talking about like a nose tackle type guy. Somebody just plugs up the interior eats the blocks
04:57 He's got some athleticism to him
04:59 He's one that stood out to me a little bit this week and then a Peyton Wilson linebacker from NC State
05:04 Yeah, he's somebody that I think man you look at a linebacker
05:07 I don't I'm not saying to Mario replacements or anything like that
05:09 But somebody that you can have make some impacts for you learn their role on special teams and stuff
05:16 I think that's the biggest thing for those defenders is that you get you're not gonna come in here and start day one
05:21 First of all, you've got to learn the process you got to learn and get acclimated
05:25 I mean we saw that with Davenport saw that with Turner seeing that practically I think every defensive draft pick that's been taken within the
05:32 First couple of rounds for the Saints is you don't get an automatic starting bid if you're on the Saints roster
05:37 Depart just because you were picked high. I mean you got to earn it and learn it and this is a complex defense
05:43 I'm interesting some of the things we were told mobile about how this defense is kind of constructed a little bit for the Saints
05:49 But you know, I think those are two that again, they're gonna have a high value
05:54 I think you know sweats probably a day to early pick probably and Wilson
05:58 We'll see how he goes
05:59 but I think there's some real gems in this the senior bowl and obviously want to see more of them when it comes down to
06:04 because you look at one of ones that caters towards the the
06:08 Wide receiver obviously and what's interesting is even sitting next to some of the coaches that you know
06:14 You look at it's like in college. You can hold a lot more right?
06:16 But yeah pro game they're getting flagged just like this because you can't hold like that you do and so it's just it's gonna be a
06:23 Transition for someone but who were some of yours that stood out?
06:25 Yeah, I'll mention I love both of those guys in the defensive line that or in the front seven that you mentioned Peyton Wilson's probably
06:32 My my top linebacker in this year's draft class
06:35 But one of the guys that I also really like over in the defensive line is Darius Robinson
06:39 He's a big defensive tackle like six foot four six foot five
06:43 284 pounds if I remember correctly
06:46 From Missouri and he's been working as an edge rusher and was really really just disruptive here in mobile
06:53 But the thing I actually like about him is that he started off as a three tech years ago
06:57 They had him playing at three tech on the interior as sort of being this like interior pass rusher
07:01 Then they slimmed him down a little bit but in slimming him down
07:04 They didn't have him drop a bunch of rate weight. They just toned him up
07:07 So that's why he's still like 284 8284 and he's out there looking like Megatron
07:12 Like the dude is just jacked and like ready to go and and so then they moved him out to five tech
07:17 Which is like an edge position, but it's a little bit more like it was cam Jordan in college
07:21 And and cam Jordan's first year in the NFL actually they had him at five tech
07:26 So he was there is a little bit more of like a run stopper and all that here in mobile
07:30 They let him just go after like pin his ears back and go after the password
07:35 He was so much fun to watch in that role really tenacious really violent hands all that so I liked him a lot
07:40 McKinley Jackson was a defensive interior guy that I liked as well a lot of Texas A&M a little bowling ball type dude 6 1
07:48 333 pounds kind of reminds me of a Colin Saunders in a way very athletic has a great
07:54 You know pair of moves really violent hands as well
07:57 So I really enjoyed that and there were a couple of corners that stood out - I don't know how invested the Saints are gonna be
08:02 At corner that's really gonna depend upon who they keep in free agency, but I'll tell you if they're looking
08:07 guys like Quentin Mitchell had a
08:10 fantastic week
08:12 Willie drew the the corner out of Virginia State. I think it'd be really interesting to see him in the slot product
08:18 Yeah, yep, the one and only prospect here from HBCU scale
08:23 He right he was the guy that was here that you know, five foot ten 190 pounds perfect slot build
08:30 Good speed great ball skills had seven interceptions last year several passes defensed as well jumps routes really aggressive
08:38 So you might have to tone that back a little bit
08:40 But that's one of the reasons why that kind of works in the slot because you have
08:42 Two more lines of defense behind you sometimes and it's not you can be a little bit more aggressive
08:47 And so I really like what we saw from him and another guy that I liked
08:51 Corner wise was cam heart Notre Dame
08:53 Just six foot two 200 pounds like just a classic big physical guy that works in this division when you've got big wide
09:00 Receivers and all that Mike Evans Drake London. We'll see what Carolina does at wideout
09:04 But he's one of those other guys that I really enjoy too. So I don't know. I love the defense
09:09 I thought that the offensive line performed the best as like a position group here in Mobile
09:16 But if I had to pick offense or defense about who was most impressive throughout the week
09:20 I really love the defensive guys
09:22 Yeah, and I think they're only gonna get better and you'll see some of that showcased in the senior bowl
09:26 And of course, you know
09:27 Not that we don't want to talk about quarterbacks or anything like that Michael Pratt
09:30 Obviously Pinnock's all those types of guys and stuff, but I just don't see that in the mold and mix
09:36 Of course, you got to pay attention to quarterbacks and stuff. But you know
09:38 You're I'm with you. I think defense is what's intriguing offense. I think we expected
09:44 I mean when you have that many type of
09:46 Offensive tackles that are just such a rich class that of course, they're gonna look really good
09:51 And so again, if you're a team that needs somebody on the trenches, you're gonna come away with somebody really good
09:57 And so I think it's pretty interesting because I think there's gonna be some teams that look at that
10:01 I really love what the Lions had done this season. They had the running game had Gibbs and Montgomery
10:07 But they invested in that offensive line and they built it
10:10 And so again, I feel like there's a little bit of jealousy there because they have the weapons their wide receiving core
10:16 Not the best. I mean, you know, you know what you have in Amon Ross ain't Brown
10:20 But you know in some of the other guys Jameson Williams is and done everything
10:25 But he come on in the playoffs and then you look at tight end Sam LaPorta just been outstanding
10:29 But again, you look at that
10:31 I think there's a I don't say a mold because it is a kind of cap at copycat league
10:35 But I think if you look at a vision of what works sometimes I think that's a perfect perfect one to look at and defensively
10:42 Yeah, you know they have the pieces and they have the coaching. I know
10:47 It's interesting because da is he doesn't get out coached a ton when it comes to defensive play
10:53 But he did against Sean McVay and the Rams and so I think that's why they looked at that Rams tree
10:57 They need something that has a little bit more pep in it and in defensively
11:01 I think they've got some pieces there that that are really gonna help them out in the future
11:05 But again, you look at this draft
11:07 They're gonna have some picks. They're gonna have some things to deal with how they go about it right now is gonna change completely
11:13 compared to how they do free agency and how they trade stuff but
11:17 It's really interesting because I don't know if I'm gonna take this team as a 10-win team next year
11:21 I'm not gonna make that mistake of kicking them and go to 11 and 6 or anything
11:24 But it's really fun because of these coaches that got hired this year, you know
11:29 Five of the eight that they're gonna play this season including the Panthers and obviously the Falcons twice
11:36 But it's gonna be a really interesting season for the Saints and you know, we're fresh off of a bad one
11:42 I guess if you will or whatever you want to call it chalk it up
11:45 Yeah, it's a pointy one bad because they didn't yeah because they were supposed to make the playoffs and they didn't and so I don't
11:50 think there's anything to feel good about nine and eight when you don't make the playoffs because you know
11:54 that's just there's no moral victory in that right and so
11:58 Saints got a lot to work to do and they still got to figure out this OC business
12:02 But again good week in mobile a lot of things to build on
12:06 What do you think as far as where their next steps are and what they kind of might see from this team going forward?
12:12 Yeah, I think the next things that you're gonna see of course are OC and then filling out the rest of that offensive staff
12:17 They'll have some offensive assistants to bring in the wide receiver coach running back coach now as well with Joel Thomas heading over to New
12:24 York talk to Joel Thomas by the way, and he was
12:27 Nothing, but complimentary of his time in New Orleans
12:30 But it's an opportunity to you know
12:33 Be able to try something new go somewhere different go back out to New York and all that
12:37 So it's just a great situation or go back out to New Jersey for him
12:40 So a great situation for him
12:42 But really cool to just kind of hear like how much he appreciated his time in New Orleans and everything
12:46 And and so after that, I think it just comes down to getting ready for
12:50 Free agency. I know everybody wants to jump to the draft, but you're right like free agency is right in between and that's where you make
12:57 A lot of your biggest strides in terms of what you're yet to do
13:00 De Mario Davis, you know, and I know the crowd at the you know, the the fans are split on Derek Carr
13:07 But like that was that those are free agency additions your breeze free agency edition
13:11 You know what?
13:11 I mean
13:11 so I
13:12 Think that like these are the places where you really start to build your team and then the draft is really where you start to build
13:17 Your future and everything so that's why that becomes really important and I do think this is a team that needs to get younger
13:21 I wouldn't expect too many big splash moves. Maybe one maybe two
13:26 And they'll be back loaded contracts with low first year salaries and all the good stuff that we're used to
13:32 But then I think that like that becomes really the next big focus
13:35 Even with the combine in between free agency is really the place where you you win or lose games for 2024
13:41 Yeah, March 16th is gonna be here before we know it. I mean, that's the start of the new league year
13:46 There's a lot that's gonna happen in between there
13:48 It's it's gonna heat up pretty quickly and it has to right and so it's it's gonna be one of those that you look at
13:54 And you're like man, how do we get to this point already?
13:56 I I sat here and I'm like, how is the senior ball already here right now? How are you?
14:01 Yeah, sometimes we cover football. It's like I just don't get how quickly sometimes it goes
14:06 And then I think the longest time is when that period between like the last mandatory mini camp and training camp
14:12 That's like the longest period of stretch of nothingness for for anybody that reports on this team recovers this team
14:19 But you know, it's an exciting time. I think that the Saints team
14:22 They've got some questions to answer they've kind of drew their line in the sand of what's gonna happen
14:27 I mean, we knew da was gonna be back probably for over a month, you know before it actually happened
14:32 I mean that was everything that was trending there, right?
14:34 And it's something that we had talked about wrote about and Saints news and again, we got a lot of stuff coming there
14:40 You know, it's not just about putting it out on extra Twitter read our columns
14:44 We got some stuff that we'll throw in there nuggets and stuff like that
14:46 So check all that stuff out and of course obviously check out Ross Jackson on locked on Saints
14:52 The locked on network they do phenomenal work over there
14:56 And of course just if you need a daily dose of Saints football anything
15:01 Whatever your favorite team is locked on is a great network to go check out
15:05 I can't say enough good things about these guys over there
15:08 But you know Ross tell everybody how you can be followed on Twitter and all that other stuff. I say Twitter
15:13 I'm never gonna stop saying Twitter. I can't know it's Twitter in it
15:18 I'm with you. I'm with the 100% hashtag forever Twitter. No, thanks, man. That's really that's that's awesome
15:23 Yeah, though you can find the the locked on Saints podcast on YouTube wherever you get your podcast
15:28 Of course all the written work over at Saints news and you can find it all in one place on really any of your favorite
15:33 Social medias at Ross Jackson Nola and no LA. I'm just making sure it's it's all brand aligned rush Jackson Nola
15:39 You'll be able to find what you're looking for
15:41 Absolutely. And of course you mentioned Saints news si.com slash NFL slash Saints. We are still there
15:47 We're definitely gonna be kicking no changes there from it
15:50 And I know some people have reached out but and I appreciate that but nothing that's gonna change on our end
15:54 But of course check it out. I'm John Hendricks at Jed John J and Jan Jan. No, John J Hendricks
16:01 I need more of my coffee bra. So I've got it right here. Yeah, man
16:05 John J Hendricks on X it's just like it's way
16:09 It's supposed to be spelled Hendricks like Jimmy not like the gin is my favorite tagline
16:13 I like to say but appreciate all you guys support plenty more coming in this offseason, especially the Saints
16:19 We'll have more in the Senior Bowl. Stay tuned. Thanks for tuning in
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