Saints Meet With 11 Draft Prospects At Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl has become one of the biggest tools NFL teams have at the beginning of the offseason. While scouting is a process that takes place year around, this is one of the first times (along with the East West Shrine Game) the teams are really able to get up close and personal as the most talented seniors in the country square off against each other.
It is at these pivotal junctures that prospective players are able to leave either a positive, or negative, impression on a team through interviews, meetings, practices, drills and games. The Saints team representatives met with 11 prospects this past week.
Now, we should preface this article by saying that a team meeting with a player doesn’t necessarily mean that player is on their radar. These meetings can be used to scratch a player off of a big board as well as add them to it.
The Saints, and every NFL Team, meet with dozens of draft prospects every offseason in the months leading up to the draft and most are never picked by the team.
Of the 11 players the Saints representatives reportedly met, 8 were defensivemen and 3 were offensive players. There are the players reported as having met with the team grouped together by position and alignment.
Jan 21, 2015; Mobile, AL, USA; South squad defensive tackle Gabe Wright of Auburn (90) and offensive guard Arie Kouandjio of Alabama (77) battle during a drill at Senior Bowl South squad practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports
Offense:
La’el Collins, OT, LSU
David Cobb, RB, Minnesota
Devante Davis, WR, UNLV
Defense:
Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson
Martrell Spaight, OLB, Arkansas
Jordan Hicks, OLB, Texas
Geneo Grissom, EDGE, Oklahoma
Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State
Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn
JaCorey Shepherd, CB, Kansas
Doran Grant, CB/S, Ohio State
Most Saints fans will recognize many of the names that are close to home including Collins from LSU and Smith from Mississippi State. Some other names like Cobb, the back from Minnesota who has seen a rise in draft stock recently, and Shepherd from Kansas might be unfamiliar names.
We’ll do individual player profiles on as many of these players as possible at a later date, but here is a brief look at each player’s scouting report. Scouting reports are compiled here at the Believer and outside sources such as Draft Breakdown, CBS Sports and Walter Football are also used.
Nov 22, 2014; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Ole Miss Rebels running back Jordan Wilkins (22) carries the ball as Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Martrell Spaight (47) tackles at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The Razorbacks won 30-0. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports
La’El Collins – OG/OT
Strengths: Collins shows good initial quickness in his kick-slide and uses his long reach to maintain the arc. When he gets his hands on opponents and remains square, it is generally lights out for the defender.
Weaknesses: He does not possess elite balance and can be challenged by speed-rushers. He’ll over-compensate occasionally and leave the inside open for counters.
David Cobb – RB
Strengths: Good speed for his size/weight. Projects as a high 4.5 runner in the 40. His running style suits him better in a one-cut, zone-blocking system in the NFL.
Weaknesses: Most of his big plays come from wide-open holes up the middle. He rarely makes plays outside the tackles. Not much of a bruising style back even with his larger, 225 pound frame.
Devante Davis – WR
Strengths: Davis has great spatial awareness, and is super quick in and out of his breaks. He already looks like an NFL receiver with plenty of speed on a long, lean frame.
Weaknesses: Lacks much burst in his breaks, rounding off patterns and too easily giving defenders a chance to react. Upright in his stem and needs to clean up his route running technique, showing undeveloped footwork and body language.
Stephone Anthony – ILB
Strengths: Carries an ideal frame for an inside ‘backer, with thickness through the middle and broad shoulders, and he exhibits the explosive first step.
Weaknesses: Lacks sideline to sideline range asked of most linebackers in the NFL. Can struggle in man to man coverage.
Martrell Spaight – OLB
Strengths: Light on his feet and balanced, making Spaight an effective open-field tackler who can deliver a pop and force the ball out.
Weaknesses: Lack of experience. Will sometimes take false-steps as he diagnoses the action and will occasionally run himself out of the play.
Jordan Hicks – OLB
Strengths: Recovered well from an injury-plagued career to post an All-American season in 2014.
Weaknesses: Short and loses sight of the ball on occasion. See-it-and-go defender who lacks ideal instincts.
Geneo Grissom – EDGE
Strengths: Sports a rocked-up build that speaks to his commitment to the weight room. He also has a quick burst off the snap and can cross the face of tackles as an edge rusher.
Weaknesses: Grissom is a better athlete than football player at this time and given how often he switched positions at Oklahoma questions about his football instincts are fair.
Preston Smith – DE
Strengths: Lines up as a 1-technique lineman inside on obvious passing downs, using his initial quickness and power to penetrate the A-gap and create interior pressure.
Weaknesses: Is not a quick-twitch rusher and rarely beats offensive tackles with speed off the edge.
Gabe Wright – DT
Strengths: Terrific initial quickness, which he can use to penetrate gaps and wreak havoc in the backfield.
Weaknesses: At times he is so consumed with rushing upfield that he loses sight of the ball.
JaCorey Shepherd – CB
Strengths: Strong build for his size (5’11, 195 pounds). Decent speed for a corner his size (4.5)
Weaknesses: Playing with Kansas he did not face elite talent.
Doran Grant – CB/S
Strengths: He is patient and trusts what he sees with adequate size, speed and ballskills for the position.
Weaknesses: Can be undisciplined when attacking the ball or reacting to the play. Can lose confidence.
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Betsided
As previously stated, a meeting with these players is not necessarily a guarantee that the Saints have a vested interest in them.
A visit can also serve to show the coaching staff or team that a player won’t fit into the scheme they wish to implement.
These players fall everywhere along the big board. Some are projected to go in the 1st round, some in the 3rd, and there are day three picks projected above as well. As we continue to get closer to the Combine and the Draft we will provide more analysis on players the team might be targeting.
These seniors made enough of an impression at some point that they warranted a closer look at the Senior Bowl. That by itself is enough for Saints fans to take notice and to begin their own process of evaluating their performances.
Following the path most fans and analysts thought they would the Saints seem to be focusing mostly on defensive players. In particular, linebacker seems to be receiving a large portion of the team’s attention early on in the offseason. We will continue to watch to see if this interest continues or if the team will move to other positions of need.