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The festivities and practice sessions running up to the 2020 Senior Bowl are in full swing, and the New Orleans Saints are in attendance. This is the first opportunity many coaches and front office personnel will have to scout the prospects in this year’s NFL Draft, so it’s important for these rookies-to-be to make a strong first impression.

Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell reported that the Saints were active in meeting with players from both the North Team and South Team, but we shouldn’t look too deeply into these brief conversations. Often it’s just an opportunity to touch base with a player and maybe get their phone number to schedule a more in-depth interview later on. Eventually, every team meets with just about every prospect.

QB Shea Patterson, Michigan

Patterson, 6-foot-1 and 204 pounds, appeared in just 10 games at Ole Miss during his first two years before transferring to Michigan, where he completed more passes (424) than he attempted in his first stop (392). In his career, Patterson went 662-of-1,098 (60.3%) for 8,800 passing yards, scoring 68 touchdowns against 27 interceptions. He’s been an inconsistent asset on the ground, never averaging better than 4.1 yards per carry or running more than 87 times in a season. He’s very much a pocket passer and has a lot to prove at this all-star game.

DT Larrell Murchison, N.C. State

Murchison was one of the first defensive linemen to arrive at N.C. State after the Saints hired decorated position coach Ryan Nielsen, so there probably isn’t much of an inside-scoop here. The 6-foot-2, 294-pound lineman transferred to N.C. State in 2018 and immediately made an impact, racking up 20 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in just 23 games. He fits the profile of someone like Mario Edwards Jr., who the Saints line up all over the formation thanks to his tweener body type.

WR Quartney Davis, Texas A&M

Davis weighed in at 6-foot-1, 199 pounds after getting called up to the Senior Bowl having earned his degree as a junior. He caught 99 passes in two years with the Aggies, gaining 1,201 receiving yards and scoring 11 touchdowns through the air. He’ll need to show either exceptional speed, route-running nuance, or another high-upside ability to get drafted, but the Saints have to consider every option to upgrade their receiving corps.

LB Zack Baun, Wisconsin

Baun (6-foot-2, 240 pounds) is a versatile defender who’s been moving easily from coverage drills to one-on-one pass-rush drills during practice. He played sparingly early in his Badgers career before starting as a junior in 2018, and held onto that post in his senior year, putting up an obscene 19.5 tackles for loss (and 12.5 sacks). He could be a nice addition to a banged-up Saints linebacker corps, which has two starters returning from season-ending injuries (Alex Anzalone and Kiko Alonso) and a third entering a contract year (Demario Davis).

WR Collin Johnson, Texas

Johnson was a college teammate of Saints rookie Lil’Jordan Humphrey, opting to stay in school and take advantage of his rare physical tools (6-foot-5 and 221 pounds). He contributed to the Longhorns passing game all four years at Texas, catching 188 passes for 2,624 yards and 15 touchdown scores. That’s an average of 4.5 receptions per game and 62.5 receiving yards per game, which bodes well for his future in the NFL. It’s always best to boost your resume with sustained success.

DT Josiah Coatney, Ole Miss

Coatney has a big frame (6-foot-3.5, 309 pounds) and has started all three years he played at Ole Miss, consistently posting up 46-to-65 tackles per year; that’s an average of 4.8 per game, which is a great number for a defensive line. It shows how often he was flowing to the ball and disrupting the offense in front of him. He also finished his collegiate career with 15.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. The Saints have done a great job finding undrafted gems along the defensive line like Shy Tuttle and Taylor Stallworth, and Coatney could join them.

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