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The New Orleans Saints do not have a second-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. But they do have a third-, a fourth-and a fifth-rounder and if they're smart they'll use one of them to select Tyrann Mathieu.

Yes, he's small.

Yes, he's troubled.

And, yes, he hasn't played a snap in more than a year.

Mathieu is exactly the kind of player the Saints need.

The club's top priority continues to be a front-seven defender and everyone assumes they'll take one in the first round at No. 15. If so, then Mathieu makes perfect sense in Rounds 3 or 4, depending on how things shake out on draft weekend.

The Saints need defenders. They need play-makers. They need difference-makers.

Tyrann Mathieu said the Honey Badger persona may be back, but for now he's Tyrann: video part 2Tyrann Mathieu speaks to the media about regaining trust and playing in the NFL at the scouting combine.Watch video

Mathieu is all of the above. He's one of those rare cats that, in scouting parlance, can slow his heart rate in the heat of the moment. Anyone who's watched the Saints play the past few seasons knows how woefully lacking that trait has been on their defense. Darren Sharper had it. Sammy Knight had it. Ed Reed currently has it. And so does Mathieu.

Mathieu made more impact plays during his sophomore year at LSU than the entire Saints defense makes some seasons. He intercepted passes, forced fumbles, recovered fumbles and returned punts for touchdowns. Moreover, he didn't pad the stat sheet against pre-conference cupcakes. Mathieu played his best against the best. His highlight reel was made against the likes of Georgia, Florida, Oregon, West Virginia and Arkansas.

You simply don't find play-makers like that in the middle rounds of a draft. SEC Defensive Players of the Year and Heisman Trophy finalists normally are first-round picks.

Mathieu's off-field issues are well documented. Obviously, the Saints and every other NFL team must conduct vigorous background checks on him. They must be convinced that he's truly committed to rehab, to putting his issues behind him, and that he won't run afoul of the league's drug policy in a year or two. If there's even a hint of a red flag, they need to pass.

But by most accounts, Mathieu is doing and saying all of the right things these days. He's finally holding himself accountable and admirably facing his problems head-on.

"Everyday, it's a process," Mathieu said Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I'm not saying that I'm totally there, but I am taking strides everyday to be the best person that Tyrann can be."

He added: "My best friend right now is honesty. I want (NFL teams) to be able to trust me. I'm not totally asking them to trust me right now. What I have asked is for them to give me an opportunity to play the game."

The Saints have taken risks on players with character issues. Carl Nicks had off-field issues but the club felt comfortable investing a fifth-round pick on him in the 2008 draft. Nicks never was a problem off the field and blossomed into a multi-time Pro Bowler on it.

Tyrann Mathieu said he's not totally focused on football, it's "more about the person": videoFormer LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu talks to the media at the NFL Scouting Combine Sunday.Watch video


Besides, the Saints are a perfect fit for Mathieu in many ways. In New Orleans, he'd enjoy a strong support group of family and friends off the field. In the Saints, Mathieu would find a locker room of veteran leaders to lean on and learn from. Jabari Greer, Malcolm Jenkins and Roman Harper are the kinds of guys who can help keep Mathieu parked at the corner of straight and narrow. And new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan would love his toughness and swagger.

Moreover, Mathieu would fill an immediate need as the team's nickel corner or dime back. And he'd provide insurance for Darren Sproles on punt and kickoff returns.

"He's an intriguing guy," said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, who sees Mathieu as a fourth-round pick. "My gut tells me he's a better football player than he is an athlete."

Some teams undoubtedly will question Mathieu's official height (5 feet 8 ½) and weight (186 pounds). And the skepticism will be heightened if he clocks a slow time in the 40-yard dash Tuesday.

In the case of Mathieu, size doesn't matter. His measurables didn't hold him back at LSU and they won't in the NFL. Fact is, most of the players Mathieu faced on Saturdays at LSU are now playing on Sundays in the NFL.

Atlanta's Brent Grimes (5-9, 177) or Minnesota's Antoine Winfield (5-8, 176) are similarly built and both are Pro Bowlers.


Mathieu, like Winfield, is a football player -- plain and simple. Put him on the field and he'll make an impact, whether it's at cornerback, nickel back or free safety. He played all three spots at LSU and thrived at each. In the one game he started at safety, he recorded eight tackles, forced two fumbles, recovered another and returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown in a win against Arkansas.

"They can watch a whole lot of film on me," Mathieu said "I make plays. Height has very little to do with it when you're playing the game of football."

Indeed, if Mathieu is still on the board when the Saints select in the third and fourth rounds, they must consider taking him. He'd be the kind of mid-round impact defender that has mysteriously eluded them over the years.

The Saints' strong history of identifying and drafting impact talents in the mid- and late draft rounds has been largely limited to offensive and special teams players: Jahri Evans, Marques Colston, Carl Nicks, Jermon Bushrod, Zach Strief and Thomas Morstead. The one defender who would qualify as a late-round steal in the Sean Payton era was Rob Ninkovich and the Saints cut him.

Mathieu would have a chance reverse that disturbing trend. The Honey Badger will be a sweet mid-round pick for some NFL team. If his sins are truly behind him, Mathieu would make a great Saint.

Why the New Orleans Saints should draft Tyrann Mathieu | NOLA.com

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