The yearly event in Indianapolis always brings a ton of buzz to it, as front offices, scouts and coaches all get together to interview and evaluate prospects in hopes of getting a better picture for their draft boards.
The New Orleans Saints will be represented fairly well again, as the Kellen Moore era looks to bring about major change to the franchise. It won’t happen overnight, but it has to start somewhere. Nailing their first pick in the draft could go a long way to help turn the tide, and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. picked an interesting offensive target for the team in Penn State’s Tyler Warren for his latest mock draft.
Warren is really fun to watch, and he could do a bit of everything in the New Orleans offense. At Penn State, he was lined up in-line, out wide, in the slot and in the backfield. And no matter where he was, he made plays, racking up 1,233 receiving yards on 104 catches. Warren has sure hands and the ability to pile up yards after the catch. With Juwan Johnson hitting free agency and Taysom Hill recovering from a torn ACL, tight end is a position of need for the Saints. New coach Kellen Moore has traditionally leaned on the tight end position with his offenses, too.
A tight end would make a lot of sense for the Saints, and that’s a position we looked at earlier in the month. The room is very thin, and it’s critical for New Orleans to add to it. Foster Moreau is also coming off a major injury that he suffered in the final game of the season, so that’s another thing to factor in.
The draft does have some very nice options at tight end, as you can get someone strong well into Day 2. Free agency is very thin, and Juwan Johnson might get a better deal elsewhere. However, there is time for New Orleans to get something done.
It’s been a long time since the Saints had someone as dominant as Jimmy Graham, and that presence has been missed for a long time. Perhaps this is the year they could get someone who could help change things for the new Kellen Moore offense.
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah went with Marshall edge defender Mike Green in his most recent mock. The thought process on what New Orleans will do when they pick at 9th is all over the board, and the thing is there’s a case to be made for just about each position.
