Tag: meetings

Saints hosting Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker on official facility visit

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Saints are flying in Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker, one of 30 prospects they can host on an official facility visit:

Well that’s something: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the New Orleans Saints are flying in Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker for an official visit on Tuesday, making him one of the 30 prospects in the 2023 NFL draft that the Saints are allowed to host for private meetings at the team facility in Metairie.

You’d think the Saints wouldn’t be interested in drafting another quarterback highly after signing Derek Carr to a massive contract in free agency, but they designed that contract with an exit ramp just two years into the four-year deal. If Carr doesn’t meet expectations, it could be worthwhile to have an experienced backup quarterback ready to go in the near future.

Hooker is one of the most prolific passers in this draft class, even if he’s going to need some time to adapt to NFL standards after running a timing-and-spacing based offense that took advantage of some quirks to the college game. He’s also an able threat to make plays on the ground with his legs.

But there are some warts on his scouting report. For one thing, Hooker is coming off a season-ending ACL injury, though he’s said he expects to participate in training camp wherever he’s drafted. For another, he’s one of the older prospects in this year’s rookie class, and if he doesn’t play until 2025, he won’t see meaningful snaps until he’s 28 years old.

No one cares about that if he plays at a high level for a decade once he’s in the lineup, but it would be really tough to justify passing on players who could help the Saints right now in the top two or three rounds. We’ll see where he ends up on draft day.

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Saints meet with top guard prospect O’Cyrus Torrence before Florida pro day

The Saints are among the teams meeting with O’Cyrus Torrence before Florida’s pro day. The top guard prospect in the 2023 draft has a lot to offer:

The Draft Network’s Justin Melo reports that the New Orleans Saints are one of multiple teams catching up with Florida Gators right guard O’Cyrus Torrence before his school’s pro day this week, and it’s easy to see why: if an interior offensive lineman is going to be picked in the first round this year, it’s probably Torrence.

He’s played at a high level both at right guard (with Florida) and at left guard (earlier in his career at Louisiana-Lafayette) in college, and he’s done well enough in the pre-draft process to continue to earn first-round consideration. Melo also lists the Titans and Falcons as teams meeting with Torrence before his next workout, with the Steelers, Commanders, and Bills having scheduled private facilities visits later in April.

Do the Saints need to draft a guard that high? Probably not, but it doesn’t hurt to do their homework in case Torrence is the best player available at No. 29. Both Cesar Ruiz and Andrus Peat could leave in free agency next offseason and it would make sense to invest in a replacement plan too soon than scramble to address the problem too late. Torrence’s ability to man either spot is a big boon. The Saints have bigger fish to fry, but they’ve surprised us on draft day before.

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Saints schedule meeting with Purdue QB prospect Aidan O’Connell

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports the Saints are one of many teams to have scheduled a meeting with Purdue QB prospect Aidan O’Connell:

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the New Orleans Saints are one of many teams to have scheduled a meeting with Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell, a mid-round prospect in the 2023 NFL draft. O’Connell weighed in at 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds at Purdue’s pro day, good size for an NFL quarterback, but he didn’t go through any athletic testing drills which clouds his evaluation. It’s possible the Saints want to meet with him so they can put the rookie prospect through his paces and see how he compares to his peers.

O’Connell has been an effective game manager for the Boilermakers the last two years, completing 66.7% of his passes while averaging 7.4 yards per attempt. He’s done well in scoring position by completing 65 touchdown passes but he doesn’t bring any element to the game as a runner, and he’s put the ball in harm’s way at times with some poor decision-making — he’s been intercepted 24 times in his last 24 games. He’ll need to clean that up to hang around long enough to develop with an NFL team, even if he’s slotted behind a veteran starter like Derek Carr and experienced backup in Jameis Winston.

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Report: Saints met with top 2023 draft prospect Will Anderson Jr.

Tide 100.9 FM’s Aidan Dollins reports the Saints met with Alabama star pass rusher Will Anderson Jr., the top prospect in the 2023 NFL draft:

Huh. Well there’s something. Will Anderson Jr. stood on his numbers from the NFL Scouting Combine at Alabama’s pro day on Thursday, but he did speak with the media on hand when he wasn’t busy shaking hands with the dozens of pro personnel in attendance. And he told Tide 100.9 FM co-host Aidan Dollins that one of the teams he met with most recently is the New Orleans Saints, along with two teams picking in the top 10 of the 2023 NFL draft (the Seattle Seahawks at No. 5 and the Chicago Bears at No. 9), among “a couple other teams.” It appears he’s in high demand.

For context, and just in case you forgot, Anderson is the top prospect in the 2023 draft class. Not top-10, not top-5; he’s the clear-cut consensus best player available, though positional value puts quarterbacks like his Alabama teammate Bryce Young and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud ahead of him on some rankings. If either of them had stayed in school another year he’d be the second overall draft pick at worst.

The 6-foot-3, 253 pounder has racked up 65, 82, and 60 quarterback pressures in three years for Nick Saban’s defense while racking up 34.5 sacks and 58.5 tackles for loss in just 41 career games, using his 33 7/8-inch arms to bring down quarterback after quarterback and keep opposing blockers off of him. He ran the 40-yard dash in just 4.6 seconds with a blazing 10-yard split of 1.61 seconds. It would be nice to have a full athletic profile with agility testing and explosiveness scores, but that wouldn’t exactly help him get drafted any higher than he’s expected to go already.

So, uh, why are the Saints even bothering to talk to him? Could they be looking to push all their chips in and trade all the way up from No. 29, seeing him as their missing piece from a Super Bowl championship? They sure do need more pass rushers, but probably not.

Almost certainly not. Anderson didn’t discuss the depth and content of that conversation; it could’ve been as simple as a Saints scout or position coach asking him about one of his teammates or getting a contact number should they want to have a longer chat later on. By the time the draft rolls around nearly every team has met with almost every player, including teams like the Saints who are picking at the end of the first round and prospects like Anderson who are projected to be picked at the beginning of it.

But it’s good to be prepared. Crazy things can happen on draft day. No one predicted that Laremy Tunsil would be available at No. 13 overall back in 2016. The Saints met with Ed Oliver in 2019, when they didn’t even own a first-round pick. Their intentions are their own. But hey, it sure does make draft season more exciting. This is the phase on the NFL calendar when spicy rumors and speculation are all the rage. And the spice must flow.

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Dennis Allen, Jeff Ireland to represent Saints at Ohio State and Alabama pro days

Dennis Allen and Jeff Ireland plan to represent the Saints at pro days for Ohio State and Alabama this week. They’ll get a good look at many top 2023 draft prospects:

Two of the New Orleans Saints’ top decision-makers will be getting a good look at some of the best prospects in the 2023 NFL draft this week. Nola.com’s Jeff Duncan reports that head coach Dennis Allen and college scouting director Jeff Ireland are planning to attend the pro days for Ohio State (on Wednesday, March 22) and Alabama (on Thursday, March 23) with dozens of draft-eligible players in attendance. Expect multiple position coaches and area scouts to accompany them so they can get eyes on as many prospects as possible. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer adds that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis will also be in Columbus for Ohio State’s pro day.

Are the Saints tipping their hand by sending Allen and Ireland to these big-name pro day workouts? Maybe, maybe not. They were both in attendance for Ohio State’s pro day last year (along with wide receivers coach Kodi Burns) to scout Chris Olave and his teammates, and liked what they saw so much they were moved to trade up for Olave in the first round of the 2022 draft. That doesn’t necessarily mean history will repeat itself, but it’s still interesting to see which school pro days the Saints are prioritizing.

Here the top draft-eligible prospects from both Ohio State and Alabama:

Versatile Minnesota DB Jordan Howden schedules private workout with Saints

Versatile Minnesota DB Jordan Howden scheduled a private workout with the Saints. He fits their athletic prototype and brings experience in the slot and at safety:

Here’s a prospect who looks like a New Orleans Saints draft pick through-and-through. Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Jordan Howden scheduled a private workout with the Saints after his impressive pro day, per The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler.

Howden weighed in at 5-foot-11 1/2, 203 pound with long 32 1/4-inch arms and timed the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds. More impressive are his times with a 10-yard split of 1.53 seconds and a three-cone drill of 6.87 seconds. He also posted a 39.5-inch vertical jump, helping to generate a Relative Athletic Score of 8.8. All of those numbers line up with New Orleans’ established preferences in the secondary.

But what does he bring as a player? Howden predominately covered the slot for Minnesota, lining up there on 1,391 of his 3,027 career defensive snaps per Pro Football Focus charting. He also played often at free safety (978 snaps) and in the box (621), occasionally moving up to the line of scrimmage or out wide at cornerback. That’s exactly the sort of versatility the Saints value. He’s broken up 16 passes thrown into his coverage over the years.

Maybe the best moment in Howden’s college career was a game-saving interception in the end zone against Penn State back in 2019, which helped the Gophers hand the then-undefeated Nittany Lions their first loss of the season. But he plays consistently clean football with few missed tackles (9 of his 22 misses came in his 2019 sophomore season) and just two penalties in his career. He’s currently projected to be a late-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, but he’s doing well in the pre-draft process and more productive workouts and meetings with teams will only continue to boost his draft stock.

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Saints schedule Top 30 pre-draft visit with UAB running back DeWayne McBride

The Saints have scheduled a Top 30 pre-draft visit with UAB running back DeWayne McBride, a mid-round prospect in the 2023 NFL draft:

The New Orleans Saints just added a veteran running back in free agent Jamaal Williams, but they’re not finished improving depth behind Alvin Kamara just yet. Per Matt Zenitz of On3.com, the Saints are one of several teams scheduled to host UAB running back DeWayne McBride.

McBride is projected to be picked in the third or fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, having averaged a blistering 7.2 yards per carry with 36 career touchdown runs. McBride has solid size by NFL standards at 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds, but he needs to show teams he can be a factor on passing downs. He’s only caught 5 receptions in his college career and logged just 130 snaps in pass protection.

New Orleans has a strong tandem in Kamara and Williams, but depth behind them leaves something to be desired — backups Eno Benjamin and Derrick Gore are returning for 2023, and that’s it. If Kamara is suspended for six or more games, as is expected, Williams could use some help shouldering the load. Adding a prospect like McBride in the middling rounds would make a lot of sense.

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Tracking the New Orleans Saints’ Top 30 prospect visits ahead of 2023 NFL draft

Tracking the New Orleans Saints’ Top 30 prospect visits ahead of 2023 NFL draft: Which college players could soon be wearing black and gold?

And we’re off. The New Orleans Saints have begun scheduling visits with prospects eligible to be picked in the 2023 NFL draft at their team facility in Metairie. Because teams are limited to just 30 of these private meetings, they’re often referred to as the “Top 30” visits each spring. Teams can host 2023 draft prospects at their headquarters from March 7 to April 19, which isn’t as much time as you’d think when 32 different franchises are fighting for time with the same players.

These meetings don’t necessarily mean that the Saints are going to pick a player. Sometimes it’s a smokescreen to disguise interest, or an interview looking for insight to a future opponent. And not all 30 of the visits the Saints are scheduling will be reported; left guard Andrus Peat made the trip to New Orleans before the 2015 draft, but it went unreported in the media before the Saints picked him in the first round.

Eventually, every team will have met with nearly every prospect in the draft at some point. So take these news updates with a grain of salt. Still, it’s exciting to see new names linked to the black and gold:

Saints schedule official pre-draft visit with Bowling Green DL Karl Brooks

The Saints scheduled an official pre-draft visit with Bowling Green DL Karl Brooks, one of 30 meetings they can host at their facility:

The Draft Network’s Justin Melo reports that the New Orleans Saints are one of at least five teams to schedule a formal facility visit with Bowling Green defensive lineman Karl Brooks — which is notable because teams are only allowed to host 30 prospects on such private meetings at their headquarters each year.

Brooks weighed in at 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds at the Senior Bowl, measuring out well with 32 3/8-inch arms and an impressive 77 3/4-inch wingspan. He used his size to great effect for Bowling Green over the last five years, playing  his best football in 2022; Pro Football Focus charting credited him with 69 quarterback pressures and 36 defensive stops. He’s a very active, disruptive lineman up front.

His exact fit in the NFL is going to be interesting. Brooks has the size to play inside at defensive tackle, but he was lined up predominately out on the edge in college (doing so on 1,469 of his 2,435 career defensive snaps), and he showed the lower-body flexibility to turn the corner and get low against pro-quality offensive tackles at the Senior Bowl.

The Saints probably want to bring Brooks in to go through further athletic testing and position drills to best determine his fit in their system. He was snubbed by the annual NFL Scouting Combine, so they won’t get an opportunity to put him through his paces until his March 20 pro day. Right now he’s projected to be picked in the third or fourth round of April’s draft.

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Cowboys meet with several top WRs at scouting combine

Zay Flowers, Jordan Addison, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are among the receiver prospects Dallas has met with ahead of the NFL Draft. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys went into the 2022 season assuming that everything would go exactly right at wide receiver.

Their plan hinged on all of the following things actually happening:

1) CeeDee Lamb to be the true WR1 they believed him to be when they traded Amari Cooper away

2) Michael Gallup to return from ACL surgery on the short side of his recovery timetable and at full go

3) James Washington to be a valuable weapon from Day One

4) Jalen Tolbert to make significant contributions as a small-school rookie

Well, at least they got the first one right.

Heading into the 2023 offseason, the team finds itself having to almost start over again behind Lamb. Gallup should be much more like the player he was prior to his injury, but only time will tell. Washington is gone, and Tolbert is still a major unknown. T.Y. Hilton was added late in the season and showed flashes, but whether he figures into the Cowboys’ plans moving forward is anyone’s guess.

All of which explains why the team is spending much of their time at this year’s NFL scouting combine meeting with wide receivers. Just this week, executive vice president Stephen Jones mused that the team needed to “add a little juice” to the offense in the form of a legitimate playmaker.

Each team is allowed 45 “formal” meetings with prospects in Indianapolis. Informal meetings with many more also happen throughout the week. And some players have already chatted with Dallas brass at the Senior Bowl, so hearing a player say they’ve “met” with a team can mean any one of a number of things.

Here are just a few of the big-name wide receiver prospects the Cowboys have had confirmed meetings with.