Full List Of Draft Prospects Saints Are Meeting With
Back in January we covered who the Saints met with during the 2015 Senior Bowl. As we get closer and closer towards the NFL Draft the team will continue to edit, revise and (eventually) finalize their big board of prospect they hope to land.
Individual visits are generally considered better marks of interest that standard meetings at the NFL Scouting Combine or even at the Senior Bowl. An individual meeting insinuates an interest from more than just the scouts, but from the coaches themselves.
As always, one must keep in mind that these meetings can be used as a tool to prove a disinterest as well as an interest. It provides an opportunity to scratch a name off a list as well as to add a star beside it. So far the team has set up meetings for and/or workouts with 14 players.
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Offensive Players:
T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
La’el Collins, OT, LSU
Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami
Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
Chaz Green, OT, Florida
Blake Sims, QB, Alabama
Clive Walford, TE, Miami
Keon Williams, RB, Chattanooga
Defensive Players:
Tavaris Barnes, DE, Clemson
Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
Paul Dawson, OLB/ILB, TCU
Alvin Dupree, OLB, Kentucky
Denzel Perryman, OLB/ILB, Miami
Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Tye Smith, CB, Towson
Tray Walker, CB, Texas Southern
These are the players who the team has either met with privately during a Pro Day workout or has brought in for a private visit. As you can see, there are three main areas of focus. The team is eying the offensive line, cornerbacks and the linebacking group.
In year’s past this list was typically more varied. Due to recent moves in the offseason and amidst promises from both Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton to rectify a disappointing 2014 season, the Saints seem determined to focus on positions of need and not draft the best player available on their draft board.
Jalen Collins, the physical CB from LSU, feels the team is “very interested” in his skillset and potential service in the defensive backfield. “They said they’re highly interested,” Collins told The Advocate after the team’s pro day last Friday. He added that he spoke with Saints secondary coach Wesley McGriff who loved his size.
Several players on these lists are expected to go in the early rounds of the NFL Draft. With the team holding two first round picks there is a high probability that names from each list could get called on day one. Others could see themselves in black and gold on day 2.
Like last season, the rumor mill is swirling of a receiver with whom the Saints coaching staff is enamored with. That WR is Miami’s Phillip Dorsett. He ran a blazing 4.2 40 at his Pro Day and could be the replacement the team needs after trading away Kenny Stills. Dorsett could be a guy the team nabs on day 2.
While Coach Payton and Loomis have both been adamant about the need to address the defensive side of the ball as their priority, history has shown they will have no problem going after a player they like. One thing we can take from these meetings is where their focus is. With the draft less than a month away, each meeting becomes more and more important.