Tag: prospect

Saints scheduled pre-draft visit with Louisiana Tech prospect Amik Robertson

The New Orleans Saints scheduled a formal facilities visit with Louisiana Tech cornerback Amik Robertson, a prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft.

National travel restrictions and social distancing policies in response to the novel coronavirus hit the NFL hard in the weeks and months preceding its 2020 draft, with teams unable to conduct the usual visits with prospects at their home facilities. However, some of those visits were already scheduled before the NFL ordered teams to adjust to video conference interviews.

Justin Melo over at Draft Wire reports that the New Orleans Saints had arranged one such private meeting with Louisiana Tech cornerback Amik Robertson before the curtain fell. Melo added that Robertson completed one such fly-in visit with the Philadelphia Eagles before he could return to Louisiana and meet with the Saints.

Robertson is an intriguing talent in this year’s draft class, projected to be picked somewhere around the third round; the 5-foot-8, 187-pound cornerback started all 38 games he played for the Bulldogs, racking up 23 tackles for loss and intercepting 14 passes (totaling 48 passes defensed). Despite his smaller stature, he’s an instinctive playmaker who always seems to know where the ball is headed.

While he predominately played out on the boundary in college, Robertson’s path to the NFL probably lies in the slot as a nickel defender. He’ll be able to defend in-breaking routes against smaller slot specialists there than outside the numbers, mitigating some of his size deficiencies.

But the NFL’s continued trend towards lining up bigger pass-catchers in the slot (ironically something the Saints themselves played a part in with creative use of Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston back in the day) could mean the slot isn’t as safe a haven for Robertson as tradition suggests. Still, he’s never been the tallest or fastest player on the field before, and he won’t be in the NFL, either. He was productive in spite of that and it explains why the Saints and so many other teams are interested in him.

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Saints pick a Clemson defender in Mel Kiper’s updated 2020 mock draft

The New Orleans Saints picked Clemson Tigers cornerback prospect A.J. Terrell in the updated 2020 NFL mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper.

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While the New Orleans Saints appear locked in at the top of their cornerbacks depth chart with Marshon Lattimore patrolling one side of the field and Janoris Jenkins holding down the other flank, the team could still stand to improve that part of their roster.

It’s an area that ESPN’s Mel Kiper projected the Saints to address in his updated 2020 NFL mock draft, connecting New Orleans to Clemson Tigers cornerback A.J. Terrell.

Here’s what Kiper wrote to justify the pick:

I wrote last week that there is a big drop-off after the top two corners in this class, at least on my board. I have first-round grades on only two corners. That doesn’t mean, however, that teams see it the same way, and Terrell has been getting some first-round buzz. New Orleans desperately has to upgrade with young talent at the cornerback position. Terrell is physically gifted — he ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at 6-foot-1 — though he had an inconsistent 2019 season.

Kiper is one of several cornerbacks who could sneak into the end of the first round on draft day. along with Utah’s Jaylon Johnson (picked by the Minnesota Vikings at No. 25) and Auburn’s Noah Igbinoghene (landing with the San Francisco 49ers at No. 31).

After them, the next cornerback didn’t go off the board until LSU’s own Kristian Fulton was selected by the Carolina Panthers at No. 38 (reuniting with cornerback Donte Jackson, his former college teammate). Ohio State product Damon Arnette, TCU starter Jeff Gladney, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, and Mississippi State prospect Cameron Dantzler round out the group of cornerbacks selected after Terrell in Kiper’s two-round mock draft.

It would be an interesting direction for the Saints to go in the first round, though Terrell’s path to earning snaps is longer than, say, a linebacker or wide receiver. That doesn’t mean he would be a bad pick, it just might take longer for the Saints to enjoy the benefits of a stacked secondary. Then again, there isn’t a team in the NFL that can say it has enough healthy, playmaking cornerbacks on its roster.

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Saints spoke with potential first-round cornerback out of TCU

The New Orleans Saints recently interviewed 2020 NFL Draft prospect Jeff Gladney, a highly-rated cornerback out of TCU, per a report.

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The New Orleans Saints might be in the hunt for more help at cornerback in this year’s NFL Draft. According to a report from Justin Melo over at Draft Wire, the Saints are one of eleven different NFL teams to have interviewed TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney, who also went through a private workout with the Arizona Cardinals prior to travel restrictions from the novel coronavirus.

While he isn’t widely perceived as a surefire top-20 prospect, it wouldn’t be a shock if Gladney ends being selected in the draft’s opening round. This year’s draft class is more uncertain than many that preceded it due to a lack of the usual pro days and formal facilities visits that NFL teams use to round out their scouting reports. Grades are more divisive than normal, and the Saints could very well end up being a team that does rank Gladney among that top tier, and be happy to pick him at No. 24.

So what’s drawn the Saints to him? Gladney measured in at 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds, timing the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds — clearing the established benchmarks the Saints have maintained internally. The redshirt senior is well-experienced in shadowing opposing No. 1 wideouts, playing a lot of press coverage while earning All-Big 12 recognition in three years as a starter (Honorable Mention in 2017, Second-Team in 2018, and First-Team in 2019). He finished his college career with the Horned Frogs with five interceptions and 43 total passes defensed in 50 games played. Not too shabby.

Besides slightly middling height and wingspan (Gladney’s arms measured in at a hair under 32 inches in length), the big knock on Gladney might be his injury history. He missed his first year with a medical redshirt while recovering from ACL/LCL surgery, and went under the knife again earlier this offseason after playing through a meniscus issue in his senior year. It’s possible his conversation with the Saints was a simple check-in on his recovery process.

While the Saints have a stellar top-two combination at cornerback between Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins, things are far from settled behind them. A number of players figure to compete for nickel duties (including P.J. Williams, Patrick Robinson, XFL signee Deatrick Nichols, and safeties Malcolm Jenkins and C.J. Gardner-Johnson) while the Saints lack a clear first-man-up should Lattimore or Jenkins miss time.

On top of that, Jenkins’ contract is structured so that the Saints can take it year-to-year, while Lattimore’s fifth-year option only guarantees he’ll be around through 2021. Gladney would make sense as an understudy for either of them as well as a possible heir-apparent. And considering how often the Saints field multiple defensive backs, it’s possible fans could get a good look at Gladney in his rookie year — if he ends up being the pick.

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Four-star cornerback narrows down list, Texas a top contender

Highly sought-after cornerback prospect Ishmael Ibraheem narrowed down his list of schools to the top ten contenders.

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Texas has been targeting a talented four-star cornerback out of Dallas, Texas. Continue reading “Four-star cornerback narrows down list, Texas a top contender”

Three-star cornerback from Florida lists Texas in top seven schools

Three-star cornerback Philip Riley out of Bloomingdale High School in Florida recently released his list top seven schools.

Texas recently offered three-star cornerback Philip Riley out of Bloomingdale High School in Florida. Continue reading “Three-star cornerback from Florida lists Texas in top seven schools”

2021 four-star athlete narrows down his top eight

2021 four-star athlete Julien Simon has announced his top eight schools. The projected wide receiver is top five in the nation.

Julien Simon recently received an offer from the University of Texas and he has now announced the top eight schools in the running for his recruitment. Simon who is a top 100 player according to 247 sports has the Longhorns in that group. He is a top five athlete and is projected as a wide receiver at the college level. If Texas were able to sign Simon, that would give them three of the top five athletes in the nation.

Continue reading “2021 four-star athlete narrows down his top eight”

For The Win mock draft projects Saints to trade up for a falling QB prospect

The New Orleans Saints could add a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft. One mock presented a scenario for them to pick Oregon’s Justin Herbert

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The NFL draft is a fickle process, with teams carefully guarding their intentions behind media smokescreens and say-a-little-in-a-lot jargon whenever coaches are forced to get in front of a microphone. Few teams are as difficult to pin down as the New Orleans Saints, who surprised the football world just a few years ago by trading up halfway through the first round to select pass rusher Marcus Davenport.

Could the Saints make another bold move in 2020? The latest mock draft from Henry McKenna over at For The Win suggests a scenario that might prompt another trade for New Orleans, with several quarterback prospects slipping far beyond their expected landing spots. When Oregon Ducks prospect Justin Herbert fell to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 21 overall, McKenna picked the Saints to vault over several competitors and add their quarterback of the future:

TRADE! NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: JUSTIN HERBERT, QB, OREGON — I don’t know that Bill Belichick will be interested in Herbert, but you can be he’ll set smokescreens to confuse just about everyone. The Dolphins could be interested in the Oregon QB at this point in the draft. So to be sure the Saints trade up and land their quarterback of the future — let’s not kid ourselves about Taysom Hill. New Orleans nabs Herbert. They trade 24th overall and a 2021 third-round pick. Easy decision.

The price for making that move is easy to justify; the Saints expect to receive a third-round compensatory pick in 2021 after Teddy Bridgewater joined the Carolina Panthers in free agency. Herbert is also someone they’re familiar with, having watched him go through a week of practices at this year’s Senior Bowl. The Saints also credentialed scouts for a few of his games at Oregon last season, so he’s obviously been on their radar.

And for good reason. Herbert consistently makes good decisions with the football, keeping his eyes up and looking downfield for opportunities to make a play. He’s also not afraid to go off-script and buy time with his legs, though he’s done most of his work from the pocket. It’s easy to see the appeal.

But whether he actually does slip down the draft board feels unlikely. He’s ranked among the best quarterback prospects in this year’s class, with some teams reportedly preferring him to Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa as the second-best option behind LSU’s Joe Burrow. Unless there’s a lot of mixed messaging going on through the media, fans should expect Herbert to come off the board early on April 23.

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Texas is targeting four-star defensive end from Virginia

Texas recently offered four-star defensive end Kelvin Gilliam out of Virginia in the 2021 recruiting class.

It’s clear that Texas has made it a priority to strengthen the defensive line. Continue reading “Texas is targeting four-star defensive end from Virginia”

Texas offers three-star safety from Virginia in 2021 class

Head coach Tom Herman and Co. recently offered a highly sought after safety from Virginia in the 2021 recruiting class.

This is an interesting target for the Longhorns that they must get involved with quickly. Continue reading “Texas offers three-star safety from Virginia in 2021 class”

Texas Longhorns make the cut for four-star defensive end

The Texas Longhorns were among the top 11 schools being considered for 2021 four-star defensive end Shemar Turner of DeSoto, Texas.

Shemar Turner of DeSoto recently released his top schools for consideration. The 2021 recruit has Texas among those schools. The Longhorns made an offer back in June of 2019. Turner would be a huge get for the team as they try and rekindle their pass rush that has been missing from the team for a few seasons now.

Continue reading “Texas Longhorns make the cut for four-star defensive end”