On Monday, Louisiana State University held its annual Pro Day event, allowing those draft hopefuls the opportunity to showcase their skill sets in front of coaches, staff members, and scouts of NFL teams. While a large number of the New Orleans Saints coaches and front office were in attendance in Baton Rouge, head coach Kellen Moore was spotted at a different school’s Pro Day, eyeing other talent.
New Orleans’ Mickey Loomis, Khai Harley, Doug Nussmeier, Grady Brown, and Randy Mueller, among others, visit LSU ahead of next month’s draft in Pittsburgh, and the Tigers did not disappoint.
Those at the event got to witness some of the most elite talent available in the upcoming class, especially in cornerback Mansoor Delane, whom many expect to be a top-ten selection. Brown, CB coach for the Saints, led Delane in some position drills and got an up-close view at a potential target at the eighth-overall pick for New Orleans. Delane also shone with his speed, running a 4.35 40-yard dash. The defensive back did not run at the NFL Combine last month.
Longtime Saints fan, linebacker Harold Perkins, was also on display Monday. The LB also managed a sub-4.4 dash time while showing off his freakish athletic abilities. Perkins has made his interest in joining the team known.
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Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier was on hand both as a coach and as a father while his son, Garrett Nussmeier, worked out for those at Pro Day. New Orleans has been closely linked to the LSU product before, but the growth and success of the current Saints QB Tyler Shough may have shut the door on any of those possibilities.
New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore was a unique absence from the Tigers’ workouts, but he was actually spotted in attendance at the University of Miami’s Pro Day along the East Coast. Coming off of its title game run this past season, the Hurricanes have a bevy of draft-eligible talent looking to impress professional suitors.
With their first pick coming within the first ten selections, the New Orleans Saints will have options available when they are on the clock. One player who has been consistently linked to the Big Easy is Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr.
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Bain is a talented edge rusher with the power to bullrush his way through just about anyone, but also speedy enough to get past even the most agile offensive tackles in the league. With the chance of defensive end Cameron Jordan moving on from the Saints seeming more and more possible, New Orleans must rejuvenate its pass rush sooner rather than later.
While nothing is certain or set in stone, it is good to see that the Saints are once more doing their due diligence ahead of draft day to put them in the best position possible to nab a player that meets the team’s needs. Next month, we get to see who becomes the newest member of the team, but this surely is an exciting time to be a fan of the New Orleans franchise, regardless of what happens then.
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