Tag: Nick Saldiveri

Saints trade up in Round 4 to select OL Nick Saldiveri in 2023 NFL draft

New Orleans Saints trade up in Round 4 to select Old Dominion right tackle Nick Saldiveri in the 2023 NFL draft:

Whew: the New Orleans Saints made their move, trading up in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft to go get Old Dominion offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri. They traded a fifth-round pick (No. 165) to the Chicago Bears so they could upgrade their fourth rounder (No. 115) to the very first selection of Day 3 (at No. 103).

Which meant Saldiveri was the top player available on their board. The 22-year-old mainly lined up at right tackle in college, but he brings subpar length (33.2-inch arms) and may be considered for a move inside to guard. Saldiveri has very strong movement skills and a 9.47 Relative Athletic Score.

As for their remaining picks? Barring another trade, the Saints are currently scheduled to make three more selections:

  • Round 5 (146)
  • Round 7 (227)
  • Round 7 (257)

More to follow…

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Day 3 Cleveland Browns mock draft with first three rounds complete

How will the Browns round out their 2023 draft class?

Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft saw the Cleveland Browns finally on the clock with two Day 3 picks at pick no. 74 and pick no. 98. The team addressed depth at wide receiver with the selection of Cedric Tillman at 74 before continuing to build the defensive line by selecting Siaki Ika at pick 98. Could they address defensive end with a name like Isaiah McGuire on Day 3?

The team could still use some help at edge rusher with some really intriguing options still on the board as their next pick will come at pick no. 111. They could also use more depth along the offensive line and in the running back room, let’s look at how the draft’s final day could shape up for the Browns.

30 Browns prospects in 30 days: Nick Saldiveri, OT, Old Dominion

Could the athletic tackle be a target in this weeks draft?

One area that still needs to be addressed for the Browns with this week’s 2023 NFL draft approaching is the depth and future of the offensive line. Old Dominion’s Nick Saldiveri is an athletic tackle with a skill set the team could be interested in. Though he plays for a small school Saldiveri is a really polished pass blocker that gets into his pass sets with relative ease.

Some believe he may be best suited to play guard at the next level but rather it’s right tackle or right guard the Browns could use someone with that versatility. He has good size at 6-foot-6 and 307 pounds and mixed with his athletic ability the physical tools you can’t teach are there.

He is lacking true elite strength to be an elite run blocker but with good coaching, he can be a serviceable player in that area as well. Saldiveri has a great motor and when he does play with good leverage consistently you have a really nice player on the right side of the offensive line in the later rounds of the draft.

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Targeting upside for the future in this Cleveland Browns mock draft

This year’s draft is almost here kicking off in less than a week.

The 2023 NFL draft is nearly here as it is set to kick off this coming Thursday with Round 1. The Cleveland Browns won’t get started drafting until later on Friday, being without a first- or second-round pick this year. The team has had a quality free agency period, which gives them plenty of flexibility heading into this year’s draft.

The Browns don’t have to force a position this year as the biggest needs are all rotational and depth pieces. They do need to focus on certain areas but can do so in whatever round a talented player falls to them. Let’s take a look at what I think would be a great haul with an eye for the future.

15 late-round prospects Broncos could target in 2023 NFL draft

Here’s a quick look at 15 late-round prospects the Broncos could target in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Denver Broncos do not have first- or second-round picks to use in the 2023 NFL draft, so in order to have a great class (barring a trade up), general manager George Paton will have to find gems in the mid and late rounds of the draft.

The Broncos currently have five draft picks: Nos. 67 and 68 overall in the third round, No. 108 in the fourth, No. 139 in the fifth and No. 195 in the sixth. Denver does not currently hold a pick in the seventh round, but the club might acquire additional picks through draft-day trades.

Paton has made six trades through his first two drafts with the Broncos, trading down four times. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him trade down again this year to add more picks.

Today, we’re taking a quick look at 15 prospects that Denver could target in the fifth, sixth and seventh (late rounds) of the 2023 NFL draft.

7-round mock draft for the Broncos with the NFL draft one week away

Here is our latest seven-round NFL mock draft prediction for the Broncos.

We rolled out our first seven-round mock draft for the Denver Broncos last week, and with the 2023 NFL draft now exactly one week away, it’s time for an updated seven-round mock.

This mock features all-new selections from last week. The Broncos do not hold first- or second-round picks this year following the Russell Wilson trade in 2022, but Denver does hold back-to-back picks in the third round.

Broncos general manager George Paton will probably make a few trades during the draft, but those are impossible to predict, so this draft only includes picks for the five selections that Denver currently holds.

Here is our latest seven-round mock draft for the Broncos.

1 OT prospect for Colts in each round of NFL draft

Taking a look at OT prospects for the Colts in each round of the draft.

The Indianapolis Colts are just under two weeks away from the start of the 2023 NFL draft where they’ll be looking to add talent and depth to the roster.

While the roster on paper features two starters at the offensive tackle positions in Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith, the Colts likely will enter the draft looking to add some depth and competition to the room. It may come closer to selections later on Day 2 or more likely on Day 3, but the need is there.

It also wouldn’t be a surprise if the Colts added a veteran offensive tackle through free agency ahead of the draft just to bring in some extra competition to the room. As it currently stands, they only have four offensive tackles on the roster in Raimann, Smith, Jordan Murray and Carter O’Donnell.

Following this series of articles, we’ve also looked at these positions:

We’ll be tracking the Colts’ reported interest in the 2023 draft class so be sure to keep up with latest updates via our tracker.

Here’s a look at offensive tackle prospects who fits the Colts in each round of the draft:

Bucs 2023 draft targets: Guards/Centers

Here are a few prospects on the interior of the o-line the Bucs could do well to target:

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have spent the past few years stockpiling interior offensive linemen, they have yet to settle on a direction to take the group. Their logjam at the position may keep the Bucs from prioritizing guards and centers in this year’s draft, but it should not keep them from drafting any at all.

In the nine drafts that Jason Licht has been the Bucs’ general manager, he has drafted an offensive lineman in seven of them, taking six players between the tackles. It is likely not an accident that over time Licht has used higher and higher picks on interior linemen, indicating his growing appreciation for the return on talent at the position.

Since 2021, he has used picks in rounds two and three to take Luke Goedeke and Robert Hainsey in an effort to inject youth and plan ahead for losses at the position. The retirement of Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa’s departure in free agency last year dramatically diminished the Bucs’ quality of play along the interior of the offensive line.

Hainsey was a serviceable center when starter Ryan Jensen missed the entire regular season with a knee injury, but Goedeke looked completely overwhelmed at left guard. The position was only stabilized when Nick Leverett took over for Goedeke following an injury.

Heading into the 2023 season, the Bucs are primed for a battle at both guard spots after trading veteran Shaq Mason to the Texans. Hainsey, Goedeke, Leverett and veteran Aaron Stinnie are all in the running, but none of them have proven that they can be stalwarts on the line.

The Bucs also have to plan for the future. Ryan Jensen is 31 years-old and is signed only through 2024. His chief backup Robert Hainsey is also due to be a free agent in 2024. Leverett and Stinnie are playing on one-year deals. The Bucs interior offensive line is on a two-year timeframe at best.

That is why another pick spent on the interior line is well within the realm of possibility. The Bucs have too many other needs to spend more than a Day 3 pick on guard or center, but with five picks over rounds five and six, there is opportunity to take a shot on the interior offensive line.

Here are the interior offensive linemen the Bucs could target in the 2023 NFL Draft:

Cardinals met with Old Dominion OL Nick Saldiveri

The three-year starter at tackle projects as a guard in the NFL and could play center. He has met with many teams, including the Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals have their eyes on a player who could be a future NFL center. Old Dominion offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri, speaking with The Draft Network’s Justin Melo, said he recently met with the Arizona Cardinals, as well as a number of other teams.

Saldiveri played tackle at Old Dominion but has gotten work at guard and at center in the predraft process.

At the combine last month, he measured 6-foot-6 and weighed 318 pounds. He has 33 1/4-inch arms (a little on the short side for playing tackle in the NFL) and has some athleticism. He ran the 40 in 5.21 seconds, the shuttle in 4.69 seconds and posted a 31-inch vertical leap and 9-foot-3 broad jump to go along with his 24 bench press reps of 225 pounds.

He was a three-year starter at tackle.

He projects as a fairly athletic guard and his value will increase if he shows promise as a center, being able to nap the ball well consistently.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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7 small school prospects for the Eagles to watch at 2023 Senior Bowl

We’re looking at 7 small school prospects for the Philadelphia Eagles to watch at the 2023 Senior Bowl

The NFL draft starts in Mobile, and even with the Eagles preparing to face the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, all eyes this week will be on Alabama, for the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

The Eagles are no strangers to targeting small school players in the NFL draft and the results have mostly been positive.

Philadelphia used the 2016 Senior Bowl to analyze Carson Wentz and Howie Roseman used the No. 2 pick on the former North Dakota State star.

Dallas Goedert, Todd Herreman, Jeremiah Trotter, and Brian Westbrook also make the list.

With kickoff from Mobile quickly approaching, here are seven small school prospects to watch at the Senior Bowl on Saturday.