Now that the NFL scouting combine has wrapped up, here are some thoughts on players who might have moved up or down the New Orleans Saints' draft board. The Saints have the No. 12 pick in Round 1 of the NFL draft.
Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State: Lee was one of the athletic showstoppers during the combine. He led all linebackers in the 40-yard dash (4.47 seconds) and broad jump (11 feet, 1 inch). ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay wrote that only 12 players have run that fast and jumped that far at the combine since 2006 -- and they were all either receivers or defensive backs. Lee is a bit on the small side at 6-foot-1, 232 pounds, and he wasn’t projected as a top-12 pick in many mock drafts before the combine. But there has already been more buzz about him going that high now. And he is exactly the type of athletic weakside linebacker who can roam the open field and drop back in coverage that I’ve been saying the Saints need for years.
Jaylon Smith, OLB, Notre Dame: On the flip side, everyone was buzzing about Smith as a potential top-12 pick before the combine -- despite the fact that he suffered a major knee injury in the Irish’s bowl game. But his medical testing reportedly concerned several teams, with sources from three teams telling ESPN that they don’t intend to draft him. The medical re-checks will be important for Smith, who is absolutely the type of dynamic outside linebacker the Saints -- or any other team -- could use. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said recently that if Smith was healthy, he might be the top player in the whole draft.
Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson: Lawson had a very good performance at the combine, showing good speed and athleticism to match his size and power. The 6-3, 269-pounder ran the 40 in 4.70 seconds, which ranked fourth among defensive linemen. I have defensive end ranked as New Orleans’ No. 1 need, and Lawson could be a great fit after leading the country with 25.5 tackles for loss. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick spoke highly of Lawson as a possible fit for the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons at No. 17.
Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Mississippi: The 6-3, 294-pounder showed off his impressive athleticism for his size, running the 40 in 4.87 seconds and posting a 35-inch vertical leap. According to ESPN Stats & Information, only four other 290-pound players have run the 40 under five seconds and leaped 35 inches at the combine since 2006: J.J. Watt, Tyson Alualu, Clifton Geathers and Mario Williams. However, that’s not the problem with Nkemdiche. He will have to satisfy off-field character concerns from NFL teams. I think Nkemdiche is a long shot for the Saints since they have made character such a big emphasis over the past year. But they’ll do their homework and find out if he’s a player they think they can trust. So it’s not surprising that they met with Nkemdiche at the combine, according to New Orleans’ FOX 8.
Other notables:
Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah also had a terrific performance, which could move him into the Saints’ conversation at No. 12. The 6-4, 273-pounder ran the 40 in 4.63 seconds with a vertical leap of 35.5 inches.
Ohio State DE Joey Bosa and Eastern Kentucky DE Noah Spence were both less impressive than expected in combine drills. Bosa’s performance probably won’t matter for the Saints, since he should still be long gone before they pick at No. 12. Spence’s performance shouldn’t hurt him too much since his dynamic athleticism was so evident in college and during Senior Bowl practices. But Spence is another character concern, so he needs all the momentum he can get to tempt teams like New Orleans.
Two of the guys most often linked to the Saints in mock drafts, Alabama DT A’Shawn Robinson and Louisville DT Sheldon Rankins, didn’t seem to make waves one way or another with their combine performances -- although Robinson offered an interesting explanation for his intimidating look. Both should still be heavily in play with that No. 12 pick.
