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#Utah DT Leki Fotu, an anchor in the middle, has already met with 18 teams that include the #Rams, #Chargers, #Seahawks, and #Saints. He also has a FaceTime meeting scheduled with the #Titans later today.
— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) April 8, 2020
While prospects at linebacker, wide receiver, and cornerback have been dominating the latest mock drafts, the New Orleans Saints might be preparing to throw everyone a curve ball by picking a defensive tackle early in this year’s NFL draft. Utah Utes big man Leki Fotu is the latest interior lineman to be connected to the Saints, who previously interviewed Texas A&M prospect Justin Madubuike.
The Draft Network’s Jordan Reid reported that the Saints are among a crowd of 18 different NFL teams to have contacted Fotu, along with possible draft fits like the Seattle Seahawks, as well as the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.
Widely considered a top-100 option in the 2020 draft class, Fotu would probably be under consideration when the Saints are on the clock at No. 88 — late in the third round. But if his meeting with the team went well, they could target him in a trade up the board, as they back in 2016 (acquiring David Onyemata, who signed a three-year contract extension earlier this offseason).
So what’s spurred the interest in Fotu? He’s an impressive athlete for the position, with his rugby background showing up in some nice movement skills. He timed the 40-yard dash in just 5.15 seconds at the NFL combine; a blazing mark for a 6-foot-5, 330-pounder. He started two years at Utah as a head-over-center nose tackle, notching 17 tackles for loss in his college career, and did a great job occupying blockers so his teammates could knife through gaps at the line of scrimmage.
However, the Saints’ interest in him is probably just cursory. Fotu wasn’t cleared to participate in this year’s Senior Bowl after initial physicals, and he didn’t finish combine athletic testing due to a hamstring issue. The Saints could have simply been doing their diligence to ask some pertinent questions about his medical history.
Besides that, his first-year fit in New Orleans is tough to nail down. Fotu would back up Malcom Brown (who saw just 31 snaps per game last year) at nose tackle. He lacks the pass-rushing skills or sleeker build to line up as a three-technique lineman, bullying guards with speed off the snap much like Onyemata, standout rookie Shy Tuttle, and former first-round pick Sheldon Rankins thrive in doing. The Saints could view Fotu as an upgrade over reserve nose tackle Taylor Stallworth (who spent most of the 2019 season on the practice squad), but is that really a spot they should prioritize so early in the draft?
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