Saints can fix one of their biggest flaws for cheap this offseason
The New Orleans Saints' defense started the season kind of badly last year and progressively got better. Their pass rush wasn't hitting, and the run defense was just bad overall. But, as I said, it got better. But it still wasn't at the full potential we all knew it could be at, especially considering the […]
The New Orleans Saints' defense started the season kind of badly last year and progressively got better. Their pass rush wasn't hitting, and the run defense was just bad overall.
But, as I said, it got better. But it still wasn't at the full potential we all knew it could be at, especially considering the defenses we have seen Dennis Allen coach in the past.
But at the same time, the Saints dealt with a lot of injuries. They dealt with more than almost any other team. They ran into a problem with depth up front on the defensive line, and that also led to them not being able to stop the run at times.
They can do one thing this offseason to fix that problem, and they can do it for very cheap too.
As we said earlier the big problem the Saints ran into was the depth at critical positions on the defense. They can fix that by drafting Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
The saints now have the 29th pick in the draft after trading Sean Payton to the Denver Broncos. Per Pro Football Focus' big board, the nose tackle is listed as the 25th-ranked prospect in the draft.
But, that doesn't necessarily mean he will be available when they raft. However, there is a great chance he will be.
Smith is a physical specimen. He is 6'3", and 337 pounds of pure muscle. He is a guy that is just hard to block, and there is really no other way around it. As far as the NFL goes though, he won't likely be any more than a pocket pusher, making the pocket collapse around the quarterback.
If there is one area he can improve on though, it's his sense of urgency. You can look at the guy sometimes and tell he has so much more left in the tank to give and he just doesn't, but, that can be coached.
He is also pretty decent at stopping the run and closing down lanes, gaps, and angles. The Saints would love to have Smith on their team.
Featured Image Via Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
