Canal Street Chronicles
This year is loaded with talent.
It is officially Senior Bowl week, and this year’s group of prospects are extremely talented. The New Orleans Saints value the Senior Bowl over every other pre-draft event, and depending on some performances/measurements, prospects will have significant rises up the Saints draft board.
Quarterback may not be a position the Saints target in this year’s draft, but it is not out of the question with a new coaching staff coming in. The current QB class is not the strongest, and the third QB off the board is still up in the air. Jalen Milroe is another Senior Bowl prospect vying for that spot, but Jaxson Dart is more likely to be drafted third. At 6-foot-1, 226lbs, Dart is a bit undersized, but not enough for it to be a worry in the NFL. He throws a beautiful deep ball and always looks confident in the pocket, no matter how much pressure he is under. Dart has an extremely fast release, and his throws have major speed that can fit through tight windows. Although he has a decent football IQ, Dart’s pocket presence can be suspect, and his footwork, even with time, can become sloppy. Dart has a true dual-threat ability, which makes him lethal in RPO and broken plays. Regarding accuracy, Dart is inconsistent, but it is incredible to see when he is on point.
Jaxson Dart is undoubtedly a raw prospect, but his issues are fixable. If the next Saints head coach has a history developing quarterbacks, Dart makes sense as a selection. Also, the Senior Bowl will be a great time to calm some of these worries and show improvement from last season.
Defensive tackle will be a big focus for the Saints throughout the draft process. One prospect currently around a Day 2 pick that New Orleans could value is Kentucky’s Deone Walker. Starting with his Senior Bowl measurements, Walker is 6-foot-7, 340lbs, and has over 34-inch arms. His height was surprising because Kentucky previously listed Walker at 6-foot-6. These new measurements alone will make Walker’s draft stock rise, but on the field, he has extreme talent. In Kentucky’s defense, Walker was primarily put in the nose tackle position but was also played all over the defensive line. Walker has decent speed at his size, and his strength is dominant enough to translate well in the NFL. Against the run, Walker is everything an NFL team wants. He can take double teams, quickly fill rushing gaps, and blow up plays in the backfield. In pass rush, he will need some more development, but Walker has moves in his repertoire and has the potential to make a difference on every down.
Deone Walker is everything the Saints need at defensive tackle. He is athletic, massive, and amazing against the run. Currently, Walker is projected around the third round, but with these new measurements and potentially a good performance at...
