The New Orleans Saints have plenty of holes that need to be filled this offseason, but the defensive line stands out as one of the biggest.
Despite the Saints pouring countless assets into the defensive line, they are still among the weakest teams in the NFL at getting to the quarterback.
To help fill this void, ESPN analyst Field Yates had New Orleans select Georgia Bulldogs defensive end Mykel Williams with the No. 10 overall selection in his latest mock draft.
Here is what Yates had to say about the selection:
“The SEC championship game was a great chance to see why Williams is such a tantalizing prospect. He notched two sacks in an overtime win against Texas, giving him five on the season. Williams is as impressive physically as any player in the class, as he has rare length and fluidity for the edge position. His ability to bend the edge and generate pressure makes him a potential Pro Bowl-level pass rusher in the NFL, particularly when he is asked to pin his ears back and rush more than he has for a deep Georgia front.
The Saints need the help, ranking 28th in pass rush win rate (35.0%). Cameron Jordan will be 36 next season, and Chase Young is signed for only this season.”
Williams is the quintessential early draft Saints pass rusher. He is very large and athletic, but has not been very productive in his college career.
The junior has 14 sacks over three seasons with 23 total tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles.
While it makes sense for New Orleans to draft a pass-rusher, and Williams is an exciting athlete, it would hurt to see them fall back into this trap once again. They clearly have not been able to develop this type of player in the past, so it may be time to try something new.
