Tag: prospects

Could the New Orleans Saints draft a third Senior Bowl MVP in a row?

Could the New Orleans Saints look to draft a third Senior Bowl MVP in a row during the 2025 NFL draft? TCU wideout and Louisiana native Jack Bench is a star:

The New Orleans Saints have a long history of drafting players from the Senior Bowl, and this has been the case in recent years as well. In the last two offseasons, the Saints have selected back to back Senior Bowl MVPs in 2023 and 2024 with Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler respectively. Now, they may have the opportunity to select another in Jack Bech, who caught the game-winning touchdown in the 2025 Senior Bowl.

Bech tragically lost his brother Martin “Tiger” Bech during the Bourbon Street terror attack in New Orleans shortly on New Year’s Day. Martin was honored by the Senior Bowl committee as all players were wearing stickers on the back of their helmets with the number seven, and Princeton Tigers stripes, as he was a former wide receiver for the team. FOX Sports reporter Greg Auman had exceptional coverage throughout the week regarding this tragedy and how it has impacted Jack for those interested in reading more about the topic.

Jack Bech has had ties to Louisiana throughout his life. He’s a native of Lafayette and attendee of St. Thomas More Catholic High School, and a member of the LSU Tigers for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He transferred to play for the TCU Horned Frogs in 2023 and 2024.

2024 was a breakout for him as well, as he had 62 receptions for 1,034 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns, all career highs. With the Saints needing more wide receiver help, and a quality home-grown receiver prospect winning Senior Bowl MVP, he could be someone to take a look at as they put together their 2025 draft board.

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Saints met with 2025 draft sleeper running back from Boston College

The New Orleans Saints were one of ten teams to meet with Boston College running back Treshaun Ward at the Tropical Bowl:

The New Orleans Saints have had a few reported meetings so far this offseason with 2025 NFL draft prospects. One of the more recent meetings was with Boston College running back Treshaun Ward, who they met at the Tropical Bowl according to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network.

Ward is a six-year collegiate player, with 2019 being his redshirt freshman season and 2020 being an extra season of eligibility due to Covid. Ward started out his college career with Florida State, remaining there for four seasons and accruing 27 games played, with 188 rushes for 1,241 yards (6.6 yards per carry), 12 touchdowns, and 28 receptions for 210 yards (7.5 yards per catch) with a touchdown.

He would then move on to Kansas State for a season, playing in 11 games and putting together a quality season of 124 rushes for 643 yards (5.2 YPC), 5 touchdowns, 17 receptions for 129 yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns. Then he would move on to spend his final season with Boston College, as he would also play in 11 games there, with 77 rushes for 406 yards (5.3 YPC) and 2 touchdowns, as well as 15 receptions for 268 yards and 4 receiving touchdowns.

He has some explosive plays here and there, and in one of his best games of the season against Michigan State, he showed that with a 36-yard rushing touchdown to take the lead. In that game he had 14 rushes for 102 yards (7.3 YPC) and a touchdown, as well as 2 receptions for 11 yards.

Ward is likely to be a mid to late day three pick, or a high-priority undrafted free agent at worst. With his capabilities on both the ground and in the receiving game, he may be worth looking at for the Saints who desperately need quality running backs behind Alvin Kamara.

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Shrine Bowl provides Saints many options at a position of need

The Saints need a defensive tackle to pair with Bryan Bresee, and the Shrine Bowl provides some interesting options to watch Thursday night:

The East-West Shrine Bowl will air Thursday night. When you sit down to watch the game, you should take your time to focus on the West Team’s defensive tackles.

Specifically, take a look at Indiana’s C.J. West, Boston College’s Cam Horsley and Maryland’s Jordan Philips. Philips is one of two players ESPN’s Jordan Reid called the biggest risers of Shrine Bowl practices.

The New Orleans Saints need a defensive tackle to pair with Bryan Bresee. You’d aim for someone with more run stuffing ability, and all three of these players were described to meet the qualifications prior to practice, then proved it.

The Saints would probably put some weight on them to put them next to Bresee. Philips came in at the highest weight 318 pounds. The team would want to get them in the 320 pound range at least. It wouldn’t require much change and could give Bresee a compliment in the middle rounds of the NFL draft.

In team periods, the triumvirate was consistently disruptive and attacked double teams aggressively and effectively. They also flashed during pass rush one-on-ones. West utilized the push pull move on a few occasions with a great success rate.

Each had their moments, but Horsley and West caught my eye the most due to their success in pass rush situations. Phillips excelled by attacking the blocker in double team drills.

From the three padded practices, it felt like a toss up between the three defensive tackles. All of which are worth a watchful eye on Thursday.

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PFF shares their perfect draft prospect for the New Orleans Saints

Pro Football Focus has found who they believe is the perfect prospect for each NFL team in the 2025 NFL draft class, and their choice for the Saints is an edge rusher

The 2025 NFL offseason is getting closer by the day as the playoffs continue toward Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. With that, we also grow nearer to the 2025 NFL draft, where the New Orleans Saints hold the No. 9 overall pick and good trade leverage when it comes to other picks. There will always be speculation when it comes to who teams will draft, and often times they will likely not be right.

With that said, Pro Football Focus shared their predictions and analysis for who they believe is the best prospect for each team in the upcoming draft class. Their choice for the Saints is edge rusher Nic Scourton out of Texas A&M. Here’s the rationale provided for this pick:

“The Saints team pass-rush grade was 65.5 in 2024, which ranked 23rd. Chase Young led the team with 47 pressures on the year, followed by Carl Granderson and then the talented but aging star Cam Jordan.

While there is only one Cam Jordan, Nic Scourton could be an important piece in trying to replace Jordan in the aggregate. Jordan only played 564 snaps in 2024, but that was following 13 straight seasons of at least 770 snaps per year. Nic Scourton is a heavy-handed, big, strong defensive lineman who, at 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, is almost the identical size as Jordan. While Jordan played predominantly on the left side during his career, Scourton has played over 500 snaps on both the left and right side of the Aggies defense over the last two years.”

When it comes to predictions, Scourton feels very similar to what the Saints look for at defensive end. Large body and frame with proven versatility at their position, solid but not elite production, and some element of potential that leaves room for development.

With Brian Young taking over many of the defensive line coaching duties previously, and a new head coaching hire incoming this season, we may see a complete staff overhaul which could be positive or negative pending who it is. Regardless, it gives Scourton and any other prospects a chance to come into something new and develop at a reasonable pace, which is positive for their careers.

Overall, the edge position has been difficult for the Saints in recent years, and if they are going to take one it needs to be someone they are sure is going to pan out. Scourton is solid no doubt, but there may be better options up at the No. 9 pick as well, so we will see how it plays out.

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Saints offensive assistant set to be quarterbacks coach at the Senior Bowl

New Orleans Saints offensive assistant Jordan Traylor will get a chance to coach several NFL quarterback prospects at the Senior Bowl:

The New Orleans Saints will have another coach at the Senior Bowl, this time it is offensive assistant Jordan Traylor, who will be handling the quarterback coach position for the National Team. With this, he will gain the opportunity to with with Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Wilfrid Laurier quarterback Taylor Elgersma, and Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough.

One of the most intriguing parts about this is that Elgersma will be the second player ever from a USports school (the governing body of Canadian university sports) to attend the Senior Bowl, with the only other one being wide receiver Tyrone Williams back in 1992. Williams would go on to be drafted in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL draft, and would bounce around the CFL and NFL for about six seasons, ultimately being on rosters that won two Super Bowls (XXVII and XXVIII) also winning a Grey Cup with Doug Flutie at the helm in 1996.

With that said, this will be a great opportunity for Traylor to scout him among other quarterbacks in the game. Traylor has spent four seasons as a part of the Saints coaching staff, and six seasons with the team. He has been a defensive, offensive, and scouting assistant at different points throughout his tenure with the Saints, and has had the chance to work with Arkansas and Texas as well at the collegiate level.

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College Football Playoff: 2025 draft prospects to watch in Penn State vs. Boise State

Ashton Jeanty headlines the top 2025 NFL draft prospects to watch in the College Football Playoff game between Penn State and Boise State:

The quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoffs begin on Tuesday night with the Penn State Nittany Lions taking on the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl.

Seeing as though there are two top teams being pitted against each other, New Orleans Saints fans might be interested in watching it to find some top-end talent for the 2025 NFL draft.

During the last Nittany Lions playoff game, pass rusher Adbul Carter was highlighted as the first round player. This time around, Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty will be under the spotlight.

Jeanty has 344 carries for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. A running back duo of him and Alvin Kamara would instantly be one of the best in the league and has the potential to carry the offense forward while the rest of the pieces fall in place.

A mid-round prospect to keep an eye on is Penn State linebacker Kobe King. King has developed into a consistent and solid defender and could be a perfect add to a defense that is both aging and losing players to free agency. He is a well-rounded linebacker, but is mostly known for run defense.

Closing things out as a late-round prospect is Nittany Lions  defensive lineman Zane Durant. Durant has had the most productive campaign of his career with 38 tackles and 10 for a loss with three sacks, His high ceiling against both the run and the pass makes him intriguing.

How to watch

Time: 6:30 p.m. CT/7:30 p.m. ET

Channel: ESPN, ABC

Streaming: Fubo, Sling TV, and YouTube TV

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B/R calls New Orleans the best landing spots for two incoming rookies

This Bleacher Report analyst sees two wide receivers as perfect fits for the New Orleans Saints in the 2025 draft:

Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski has two receivers who are perfect fits in New Orleans: Ole Miss star Tre Harris and Utah State standout Jalen Royals.

The lack of depth in the New Orleans Saints wide receiver room exposed itself in 2024. The room was clearly carried by Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed coming into the season. Both of those players have dealt with injuries that ended their season or cost them a large amount of time.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been a good midseason addition and should be considered for next year’s roster, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Saints invest draft capital into the position.

It’s hard to have a truly valuable conversation about prospects’ fit within the team. The Saints are a schematic unknown, so it’s best to focus on skillset.

Harris comes in with a good physical prototype. He’s 6’3 210 pounds. Sobleski sees him as a player who would thrive in an offense that gets the ball in his hands quickly.

Shaheed possesses this ability, though it hasn’t been used frequently. Adding Harris could allow for the bigger receiver to take some of those catch and run opportunities early on and Shaheed continues to stretch the field.

Royals provides a player similar to Olave in size and traits. The Utah State product comes in at six feet even and slightly over 200 pounds. Sobleski describes him as “a combination of being a precise route-runner, while also serving as a big-play threat.”

The Saints have that in Olave already. If the Saints add a receiver, he should bring a different dynamic to the receiving corps.

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College Football Playoff: 2025 draft prospects to watch during Clemson vs. Texas

The top 2025 NFL draft prospects to watch during Clemson Tigers vs. Texas Longhorns College Football Playoff game on Saturday feature plenty of playmakers on each side of the ball:

The newly expanded College Football Playoffs have begun and it is providing another way to prepare for the 2025 NFL draft.

For teams like the New Orleans Saints, the NFL draft has already become the most exciting thing for the future. Watching these games could give some insight into who the next Saints players will be.

Up second on Saturday is the Clemson Tigers taking on the Texas Longhorns, a matchup full of NFL talent.

The top draft prospect in this matchup would be Longhorns offensive tackle Kelvin Banks. Banks is one of the best pass-blocking tackles in the country and is also more than solid in run protection.

Taliese Fuaga has been good at left tackle, but drafting Banks would allow him to move back to the right side where he has proven dominant.

A Day 2 prospect to watch is Tigers tight end Jake Briningstool. It’s clear that New Orleans’ offense needs another weapon at that spot and Briningstool has the tools that modern day tight ends possess.

He is a solid pass catcher that can get by with enough blocking ability. The senior has 1,311 career receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. He has a high ceiling that is certainly worth a look in the third round.

Closing things out with a Day 3 prospect, Clemson running back Phil Mafah would be an interesting pair with Alvin Kamara.

With shades of Kamara and Mark Ingram a few years ago, having one shifty back and another power back has come back in style. Mafah has had a breakout campaign after sharing the field with Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley previously.

How to Watch

This game is one of the few college football games that won’t be played on ESPN this postseason. It will be aired on TNT as well as available to be streamed on Sling and Max.

College Football Playoff: 2025 draft prospects to watch during Notre Dame vs. Indiana

The College Football Playoffs kick off with Indiana at Notre Dame. These are the 2025 draft prospects Saints fans should be watching:

The newly-expanded College Football Playoffs start on Friday night and this could be the perfect time for NFL fans to start learning about the 2025 draft.

As for the New Orleans Saints, this draft could go in a million different directions. With the rebuild just getting started, it might be best to just look for the best player available.

There are a handful of players to watch at the different levels of the draft for the first matchup of the playoff between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Indiana Hoosiers.

The only real first round draft prospect in this game would be Fighting Irish cornerback Benjamin Morrison, who is currently projected to go in the middle of or late Day 1.

Morrison is a lockdown cornerback. He doesn’t have any turnovers forced this season, but that’s because he shuts down his half of the field. He likely won’t be in play for the Saints, but no one ever knows what cornerback they are going to fall in love with.

A guy that could be in play for Day 2 of the draft, however, would be another Notre Dame defensive back. This time, safety Xavier Watts. Watts is currently set to play in the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl, a place that New Orleans loves looking for players at.

The versatile safety would be a perfect fit in the Saints secondary. He is a solid run defender and elite ballhawk that loves making big plays. The senior has 12 interceptions and 17 passes broken up in just the last two seasons.

Closing out the watchlist with a Day 3 guy to keep an eye on is Indiana Hoosiers defensive end Mikail Kamara.

Kamara is the opposite of what New Orleans looks for in a defensive end, but that is what could make him perfect. He is smaller, but deathly explosive and incredibly productive. He has 39 tackles for a loss and 21.5 sacks in three seasons. If he was bigger, he would be a first round pass rusher.

How to Watch

The first matchup of the new playoff system is one of the easier ones to watch. It will be simulcast on both ABC and ESPN, as well as streaming on ESPN+ at 7:00 pm CT.

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Where the New Orleans Saints were scouting 2025 draft prospects this week

Where were the New Orleans Saints scouting 2025 draft prospects this week? Their scouts were spotted at a couple of high-profile matchups:

Where were the New Orleans Saints scouting during this week’s college football games? Their scouting department is spread out nationwide catching  games and filling out reports on 2025 NFL draft prospects, but we only know where they are when it’s reported. This week’s news had them at several high-profile matchups.

Per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Eli Hoff, the Saints were one of six teams scouting Mizzou’s game with Auburn. It’s at least the second time this season they were watching Missouri live, and the school’s best prospect is wide receiver Luther Burden III, a likely top-10 pick in the 2025 draft class. The 5-foot-11, 208-pound wideout totaled 6 receptions for 49 yards against Auburn and is up to 168 catches, 2,034 yards, and 19 touchdowns in his career. He’s also gained 209 rushing yards and scored four times on just 30 carries as a runner.

But that’s not all. The Saints joined half the league in scouting all of the early-round prospects competing in Texas-Georgia on Saturday night, a game the Bulldogs won handily. Quarterbacks Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers have both also earned top-10 buzz, but they took a step back against the future NFL players on each other’s defenses. Beck was intercepted three times and Ewers was briefly benched in favor of Arch Manning after throwing an interception and taking several sacks.

This may not be the year to look for a quarterback early on. The Saints need help at multiple positions, and it could be worth taking the best player available if they hold onto their position with a top-10 pick. We’re waiting for the rest of Week 7’s games to resolve, but Sunday morning’s Jacksonville Jaguars win put the Saints at No. 6 overall.

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