New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com

We've all heard who we all like/dislike at 15.

I think we trade down into the late 1st round, maybe early 2nd.

At the end of the 1st/top of the 2nd, who's on your wish list?

Here are some I like...

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Jamie Collins - OLB - USM
Analysis
STRENGTHS: Muscular, athletic-looking frame with powerful hands and long arms. Accelerates well in a straight line, and exhibits good flexibility, both coming off the edge as a rusher, as well as when changing direction in space. Displays a knack for getting to the quarterback off the edge, with impressive natural power on contact, and ability to disengage when he uses his hands effectively. Flashes a strong, sudden closing burst in space. Appears natural and comfortable in his lower half when asked to drop into zone coverage. When he gets his arms extended at the point of attack, can really manhandle his blocker. Doesn't possess a ton of short-area burst when breaking down to make tackles in space, but uses length nicely to compensate.

WEAKNESSES: Motor appears to waffle at times. Explosiveness and fluidity appear to be there for brief moments, but other times he looks heavy-footed and sloppy in space. First step isn't elite. Is much more athletic than instinctive at this point. Isn't a high-intensity, fly-to-the-football defender, despite possessing some dynamic physical tools that indicate he's capable of covering more ground. Tends to tackle with his shoulder too frequently rather than wrapping up, and will take on blockers with his chest or shoulders far too often. Will reduce speed and exhibits loose legs when flipping his hips from a backpedal in man-coverage. Awareness in zone coverage waivers, as he tends to freeze in space and lose track of what's going on behind him.

COMPARES TO: K.J. Wright, OLB, Seattle Seahawks - Like Wright, Collins possesses a unique combination of speed, fluidity and flexibility for his size. However, when Wright came out of Mississippi State, he displayed better all-around instincts and motor than what we've seen out of Collins, who is probably the more gifted athlete. Right now, Collins looks like a developmental project with starting-caliber potential if the fundamentals and instincts can improve.

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Eric Reid FS -LSUAnalysis
Strengths: Possesses the prototypical frame for the position, boasting wide shoulders, long arms and a tapered frame. Reid is a fantastic downhill athlete with quick read-and-react ability to attack the play with steam spurting from his ears. He might be the explosive hitter from the safety position in the 2013 draft, closing with the speed and physicality of a linebacker rather than a defensive back.

Possesses the size and athleticism combination teams are desperate to find to counter the hybrid receiver/tight ends taking over the seams. Doesn't possess top flexibility but accelerates surprisingly well for his length and has good straight-line speed, overall. Physical with receivers downfield and plays 50-50 balls well, using his size and strength to his advantage.

Weaknesses: Reid's biggest strength is also his greatest weakness. He plays with nonstop aggressiveness and intensity, but he doesn't always control that hostility in a smart way on the football field. He throws his body around and might be the most violent striker in the SEC, but if Reid doesn't learn how to play smarter and harness his fierce playing style then he'll have a tough time making a living in the NFL.

He is a bit stiff in coverage and can be beaten by quicker slot receivers. Has been protected by some awfully talented cornerbacks throughout his career and wasn't the playmaker in 2012 he had been the past two seasons with Claiborne and Mathieu no longer on the roster.

Compares To: LaRon Landry, FS, New York Jets -- Reid signed with LSU patterning his game after the former Tigers' standout and it shows in his physique and bone-jarring hits. Of concern to scouts is the fact that Reid, like Landry, is a bit stiff and not as fast on the field in deep coverage as he may test during workouts.

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Jessie Williams - DT - Alabama
Analysis
STRENGTHS: Has a naturally wide frame with relatively short limbs, giving him the low center of gravity conducive to holding up at the point of attack.

Possesses unbelievable weight-room strength (600 pound bench press) that translates well onto the football field due to his use of leverage and surprisingly good technique considering the fact that he's a relative neophyte who only took up the game at age 15 and has played just four seasons of football in the United States.

Has improved his use of hands over his two seasons at Alabama and has developed into a cognitive defender capable of reading the action, shedding the block with heavy, active hands and making the tackle in the hole.

Has the length to play outside as a five-technique defensive end, a role in which he initially played during his junior season with the Tide before sliding inside to the nose as a senior. Good phone-booth quickness and plays hard, competing to the whistle.

Also served as Alabama's short-yardage fullback in 2012, a testament to his power and aggression. An ascending talent with passion and work ethic to improve.

WEAKNESSES: Bit of a one-trick pony as Williams does not possess the quickness or the agility to collapse the pocket as a pass rusher. Must do a better job of protecting his knees as he is susceptible to cut blocks. Too often raises his pad level at the snap, negating some of his power and making him all the more vulnerable to cuts, as he possesses only moderate flexibility.

Has to do a better job of getting his hands up in passing lanes as he rarely gets home as a pass rusher (just three passes broken up in 25 career starts at Alabama).

Plays with good effort but lacks lateral agility and struggles to knock down ballcarriers with any room to maneuver.

COMPARES TO: Vince Wilfork, New England Patriots -- Like the Patriots' run-stuffing nose guard, Williams isn't going to pressure the quarterback often but his size and strength will make him a force in the middle.

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Jonathan Hankins - DT - OSU
Analysis
Strengths: Hankins has a wide frame with the natural size to carry a lot of weight. He has excellent feet for the position with very good first step quickness and get-off burst to knife through the line of scrimmage and make plays in the backfield.

He is fluid and rangy, dropping in coverage at times and making plays up and down the line of scrimmage. He looks smooth in space with flexible ankles to quickly redirect his momentum and move well in any direction to be a factor on just about every play.

Hankins is a tough run defender with very good awareness and instincts, using his eyes to track the play and body to force the issue. He extends to shrug off blocks and uses his hands to bully blockers, controlling the POA and setting the edge when playing outside. Hankins has extremely strong hands to secure tackles and finish plays once he gets his hands on the ballcarrier.

He has versatility to play inside or outside, seeing a lot of time at both DE and DT in college, also playing on some special teams, blocking a field goal in 2012 (vs. Purdue). Hankins eats up multiple blocks and frequently attracts double-teams. He rarely left the field and started every game the past two seasons for the Buckeyes (25 starts), displaying an obvious passion for the game.

Weaknesses: Hankins relies too much on his upper-body strength at times and needs to play with consistent leverage. He uses his body too much and needs to consistently utilize his hands and limbs.

Hankins doesn't always play smart with several penalties on his resume, including a late hit on the quarterback (vs. Michigan State in 2012). He tends to wear down throughout the course of a game and give streaky effort, looking fatigued and noticeably taking plays off.

He set career-bests statistically as sophomore and failed to reach the same numbers in 2012. Hankins lost 15-plus pounds prior to his junior season and his weight needs to be monitored to stay in shape.

NFL Comparison: Brandon Mebane, DT, Seattle Seahawks - Like Mebane, Hankins is a tough run defender who can disrupt the pocket and dominate 1-on-1 blockers, but at his best when not asked to play every down.

Others I like in the late 1st, early to mid 2nd...

Damontre Moore DE 6 Texas A&M Jr 6-5 250
Alec Ogletree OLB 4 Georgia Jr 6-3 242
Margus Hunt DE 5 Southern Methodist rSr 6-8 277
Matt Elam SS 1 Florida Jr 5-10 208
Johnthan Banks CB 5 Mississippi State Sr 6-2 185
Kevin Minter ILB 2 LSU rJr 6-0 246
Kawann Short DT 7 Purdue rSr 6-3 299
Terron Armstead OT 6 Arkansas-Pine Bluff Sr 6-5 306