Saints throw major curveball in latest national media mock draft
The New Orleans Saints continue to be an intriguing team in this year's NFL draft. They're always aggressive. They could move up for one of their top-rated players. If they sit at 29, it will be interesting to see what players fall to them at that spot. In the latest mock draft from FoxSports.com's Peter […]
The New Orleans Saints continue to be an intriguing team in this year's NFL draft. They're always aggressive. They could move up for one of their top-rated players. If they sit at 29, it will be interesting to see what players fall to them at that spot.
In the latest mock draft from FoxSports.com's Peter Schrager, the Saints selected Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta with their first-round pick.
Schrager notes that LaPorta is picking up a lot more buzz as of late and could jump into the first round. It would certainly be surprising to see as he's been more of a day two projection up until now.
LaPorta comes from a long line of successful Iowa TEs. George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson are just two of the many impressive tight ends who were once Hawkeyes. LaPorta matches a lot of what the Saints like in their draft prospects.
He is a fantastic athlete at his position, posting an RAS score of 9.01. That is elite at TE. His movement ability is uncanny at his size, and his collegiate production was extremely consistent.
LaPorta was a capable collegiate blocker, but he will need to add mass if he wants to spend time in-line at the NFL level. The Saints would probably prefer that versatility. His hands were inconsistent at times at Iowa, but his offense/QB situation did him no favors.
It would be a shocking selection for the Saints at pick 29, but the underlying factors do make some sense. We'll see who they target in the first round tonight.
