Tag: Workouts

Saints work out ascending DL prospect Adetomiwa Adebawore

The New Orleans Saints worked out Northwestern defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore, an ascending prospect in the 2023 draft:

The New Orleans Saitns have been linked to Adetomiwa Adebawore in so many mock drafts that it kind of felt like only a matter of time until he met with the team officially. KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson reports that the Saints put Adebawore through a personal workout to get a better idea of what the big man has to offer.

Adebawore put himself on everyone’s radar at the NFL scouting combine after weighing in at 6-foot-1.5 and 282 pounds, with great length for a defensive lineman thanks to his 32.8-inch arms. He posted top marks in all of the athletic testing at the combine to cap what’s been a productive college career, though pro teams have been trying him out at defensive tackle after he mainly played out on the edge.

He’d be a good fit for the Saints. Depending on which other prospects are available, he could be an option for their first-round pick at No. 29 or their second rounder at 40 overall. He’ll need some time to adjust to a new alignment and the jump in quality of competition, but he has the physical tools to be a disruptive player in their rotation behind Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders.

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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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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 pre-draft workout with Georgia Tech linebacker Charlie Thomas

The Saints have scheduled a pre-draft workout with Georgia Tech fifth-year linebacker Charlie Thomas, an undersized prospect with ample experience:

Linebacker is something of a position of need for the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, so it’s good to see them being proactive about one of their vulnerabilities. All Yellow Jackets’ Jackson Caudell reports that the Saints have scheduled a pre-draft workout with Georgia Tech linebacker prospect Charlie Thomas, who impressed scouts and coaches at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas.

Thomas is a fifth-year linebacker who developed considerable experience at Georgia Tech, having logged an impressive 2,457 defensive snaps in his college career. He’s also played 367 snaps on special teams, which would be his best path to earning a roster spot in New Orleans. His 4.52-second time in the 40-yard dash helps his chances.

He’s a solid all-around athlete, but size limitations might be tough to overcome. Thomas was listed at 207 pounds last season and bulked up to 216 pounds for the Shrine Bowl, but his 6-foot-2 1/2 frame and 31 1/2-inch arms make for an above-average at 77 1/4-inch wingspan. Maybe he can continue packing on muscle and compete for a spot on the Saints kicking units. Right now Thomas is projected to be picked in the sixth or seventh rounds of April’s 2023 draft.

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VIDEO: Best wide receiver workouts at 2023 NFL scouting combine

A video compilation of some of the best wide receiver workouts during the 2023 NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Below is a video compilation of some of the best wide receiver workouts during the 2023 NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

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WATCH: Best of the tight ends at 2023 NFL scouting combine

Take a look at some of the best of the tight end workouts during the 2023 NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis ahead of this year’s draft.

Take a look at some of the best of the tight end workouts during the 2023 NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis ahead of this year’s draft.

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Saints host several free agent running backs on Tuesday

The Saints hosted several free agent running backs on Tuesday after parting ways with practice squad runner Jake Funk, in light of an injury to Mark Ingram II:

We can’t say the the New Orleans Saints aren’t looking for help. The team hosted several free agent running backs for a group tryout on Tuesday after parting ways with practice squad runner Jake Funk, and in light of an injury to Mark Ingram II — Jordan Howard was called up from the practice squad to back up Alvin Kamara and Dwayne Washington in Monday night’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but they could use more depth at the position. At least they’re trying after choosing to stand pat at the trade deadline last week.

Seahawks host 2 offensive linemen for tryouts, 1 for a visit

The Seattle Seahawks hosted tackle Myron Cunningham and guard Jordan Meredith for tryouts and guard  Sebastian Gutierrez on a visit.

The Seattle Seahawks have a new NFL Offensive Player of the Week to protect in quarterback Geno Smith. To ensure depth on the offensive line, Seattle hosted two linemen for tryouts on Tuesday and one for a visit.

According to the NFL’s official transaction report, the Seahawks worked out tackle Myron Cunningham and guard Jordan Meredith. Seattle also hosted guard  Sebastian Gutierrez on a visit.

The Seahawks return to practice on Wednesday after an off day, so we’ll keep you posted on any new faces to take the field.

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WR KeeSean Johnson, DL Kevin Atkins among 4 to workout for Packers on Tuesday

The Packers worked out four players on Tuesday, per the league’s transaction report.

The Green Bay Packers reported workouts for four players on Tuesday. According to the league’s daily transaction report, receiver KeeSean Johnson, defensive lineman Kevin Atkins, cornerback Darrell Baker and cornerback Olaijah Griffin all worked out for the team.

No signing was reported on Tuesday. The Packers could be updating the team’s available player board with new information or potentially preparing to make a practice squad addition.

Johnson (6-1, 201) was a 2019 sixth-round pick out of Fresno State. He is the school’s all-time leader in catches and receiving yards after producing over 1,000 yards and eight scores during each of his final two seasons at the Mountain West school. In the NFL, Johnson has 36 catches for 360 yards and a touchdown over 18 games, all played with the Arizona Cardinals between 2019 and 2020.

During the preseason, Johnson caught a two-point conversion over the coverage of Packers cornerback Kiondre Thomas. He played for both the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons, catching two passes for 36 yards.

Atkins (6-2, 314) was a pre-draft visitor to Green Bay before the 2022 draft. He went undrafted out of Fresno State despite 7.0 sacks during his senior season. The 49ers signed him in May following the draft. Atkins played 48 snaps for the 49ers during the preseason, tallying one stop and one hurry.

Baker (6-1, 190) went undrafted out of Georgia State in 2022. He intercepted three passes and broke up 17 others in college. The Cardinals signed him in May following the draft.

Griffin (6-0, 175) went undrafted out of USC in 2021. He’s spent time with the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants at the NFL level. Griffin played 70 snaps between the Bills and Giants during the preseason. He gave up seven catches on eight targets and missed two tackles.

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