Saints Scouting Dept. Will Be Attending LSU vs Auburn Game
The 2016 NFL Draft isn’t until April 28th, but that doesn’t mean that the draft preparation hasn’t already begun for NFL teams.
In fact not long after the 2015 NFL Draft concluded organizations like the New Orleans Saints were already getting prepared for the next one.
Scouting departments began making the long trips just a few weeks ago to various schools across the country as college football kicked off.
According to Chase Goodbread of NFL.com, the Saints will be in attendance for the LSU vs Auburn game matchup today.
Fans of the Black and Gold have pined for the team to bring more players in from the Bayou Bengals and Goodbread lists two that the Saints could be interested in:
Sep 12, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) runs the ball during the 2nd quarter of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
-WR Travin Dural(6-2, 192 pounds) is a receiver that is thought to be a 2-3 round pick in the upcoming draft if he decides to declare since he’s a Junior.
Dural is said to have a sub 4.40 40-yard dash and can stretch the field vertically while easily slipping behind the secondary.
He has 44 receptions for 903 yards and nine touchdowns for his career as a Tiger with an average of 20.5 yards per reception.
-CB Tre’Davious White(5-11, 191 pounds) is another Junior who could likely declare for the draft depending on his season this year and is currently thought to be picked between rounds 1-2.
White has been a starter since he was a freshman and finished 2013 with 55 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, seven pass breakups, and two interceptions.
He followed that year up with 33 tackles, six pass break ups, and another pair of interceptions while also handling punt return duties where he averaged 10.9 return yards per punt.
The Saints could also be interested in Auburn wide receiver D’haquille “Duke” Williams who had a monster year in 2014 where he had 45 receptions for 730 yards and five touchdowns.
Williams is a big receiver at 6-2, 224 pounds who draws comparisons to former Auburn receiver Sammie Coates who was chosen in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
More from Big Easy Believer
- New Orleans Saints: Three biggest questions heading into the offseason
- New Orleans Saints: Three positives to take from playoff loss
- New Orleans Pelicans: Betting guide vs. Sacramento Kings
- New Orleans Saints: Bold predictions for Wild Card Round vs. Vikings
- New Orleans Pelicans: Betting guide in Los Angeles Lakers rematch
The only red flag that may pop up for Williams is that he has faced a suspension for what is called a “discipline issue” which forced him to miss several practices for this season as well as an off-the-field issue that caused him to miss the Outback Bowl.
Obviously the Saints will be looking at other players as well but with the various question marks at receiver and corner, these three could answer those next year.
One player who the Saints could use as well from LSU is safety Jalen Mills(6-0, 196 pounds) who unfortunately is suffering from a broken fibula he sustained in practice almost a month ago.
Aug 30, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; LSU Tigers safety Jalen Mills (28) intercepts a pass intended for Wisconsin Badgers tight end Troy Fumagalli (48) during the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium. The Tigers defeated the Badgers 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Mills hoped to be back for the Auburn game but will likely be out several more weeks to heal his injury.
He started at cornerback his freshman year before making the eventual move to safety and has started all 39 games from 2012-2014.
In that time Mills has 186 total tackles, seven tackles for a loss, three sacks, eleven pass break ups, and six interceptions.
Another thing that Mills brings to the table is for being known as a vocal leader in the secondary as well as the team which is something the Saints value.
The Saints are also currently hurting at the safety position after the season ending injury to Rafael Bush and the unknown status of high priced free agent Jarius Byrd.
Veteran Kenny Phillips was called in to fill the glaring hole but it’s a long-shot if he helps make a significant impact…..