Saints score major steal in expert's mock draft
The New Orleans Saints have done some major reshuffling on their interior defensive line after losing David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle in free agency. New Orleans didn't sit on their hands afterward, but the moves aren't getting a lot of praise. Well, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has the Saints getting an early Christmas present in […]
The New Orleans Saints have done some major reshuffling on their interior defensive line after losing David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle in free agency.
New Orleans didn't sit on their hands afterward, but the moves aren't getting a lot of praise. Well, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has the Saints getting an early Christmas present in his recent two-round mock draft.
After the Cincinnati Bengals took Bryan Bresee out of Clemson, the Saints were able to grab Pittsburgh's Calijah Kancey.
As I mentioned in my previous mock draft, the Saints completely turned over at defensive tackle and added Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd to be their new starters. What if they're not done adding? Kancey is one of my favorite prospects in this class. He's so explosive as a pass-rusher and despite being undersized — 6-1, 281 pounds — he's going to rack up sacks at the next level. He had 14.5 over the past two seasons. New Orleans could also look at the pass-catchers here, either a tight end or receiver.
This isn't in any way to diminish Bresee as a player because he's likely a first-round pick himself. However, Kancey is a game wrecker that can take on double teams and disengage blocks while bringing down ball carriers or rushing the passer. His speed off the line of scrimmage is phenomenal and he possesses power and multiple pass-rush moves.
Adding Kancey to a rotation with Saunders and Shepherd would give the Saints a nice interior on their defensive line, and coupled with eight-time Pro Bowler Cam Jordan coming off the edge, it would provide a solid defensive front overall.
Dream scenarios don't always come around often in the NFL draft. However, Kancey would be a hard player to pass up for the Saints if he's available at the 29th pick.
