Saints' Zack Baun spent his rookie season learning. Is he ready to make the jump?

SmashMouth · 06-20-2021, 08:53 AM

Let’s call last year a learning experience for Zack Baun.

The New Orleans Saints traded up into the third round of the 2020 draft to select Baun after he spent his senior year at Wisconsin beating offensive linemen like a drum off the edge to the tune of 12.5 sacks. The organization believed it saw an athlete who could transition to playing in space, a bit of a projectional dice roll that comes with developmental time baked in.

So Baun spent much of his rookie season waiting, learning and developing. Now, with Year 2 just over the horizon, Baun is hopeful he can show the difference a year makes.

“I’ve made so much progress,” Baun said. “… I’m excited to see where I go.”

He’s switched positions this offseason, moving from the strongside to the weakside, a change that will require him to be stronger in coverage. He trained for a few months back home in Wisconsin, but has been working in New Orleans since April on the technique that position requires.

“I know I’m capable,” Baun said. “Coaches know I’m capable. It’s just getting used to that mental (image), stepping back off the ball. It’s a big difference. You’ve got to widen your vision and see the whole picture. I’m watching a lot of film, still adjusting to that.”

He may be primed to play a dramatically larger role in the Saints defense this season. But there are some fair questions to ask about where the Saints’ faith in Baun lies.

Though he technically earned the starting strongside linebacker last season, he rarely saw the field since the Saints spent the overwhelming majority of their time in sub defensive personnel groupings that feature two linebackers. Baun played only 102 defensive snaps in his rookie season, including the playoffs.

When the Saints wanted to add some juice to their linebacker corps, they orchestrated a mid-season trade for Kwon Alexander. When Alexander was lost for the season with a torn Achilles, they turned to Alex Anzalone to play alongside Demario Davis in sub packages.

After cutting ties with both Alexander and Anzalone this offseason, the Saints selected Pete Werner in the second round of this year’s draft.

All of which adds up to wondering where Baun fits in the Saints’ defensive plans. But, to hear the Saints tell it, they saw what they needed to see from Baun while he worked in the background last season.

more on NOLA

06-20-2021, 08:53 AM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,477 Blog Entries: 29	Saints' Zack Baun spent his rookie season learning. Is he ready to make the jump? Let’s call last year a learning experience for Zack Baun. The New Orleans Saints traded up into the third round of the 2020 draft to select Baun after he spent his senior year at Wisconsin beating offensive linemen like a drum off the edge to the tune of 12.5 sacks. The organization believed it saw an athlete who could transition to playing in space, a bit of a projectional dice roll that comes with developmental time baked in. So Baun spent much of his rookie season waiting, learning and developing. Now, with Year 2 just over the horizon, Baun is hopeful he can show the difference a year makes. “I’ve made so much progress,” Baun said. “… I’m excited to see where I go.” He’s switched positions this offseason, moving from the strongside to the weakside, a change that will require him to be stronger in coverage. He trained for a few months back home in Wisconsin, but has been working in New Orleans since April on the technique that position requires. “I know I’m capable,” Baun said. “Coaches know I’m capable. It’s just getting used to that mental (image), stepping back off the ball. It’s a big difference. You’ve got to widen your vision and see the whole picture. I’m watching a lot of film, still adjusting to that.” He may be primed to play a dramatically larger role in the Saints defense this season. But there are some fair questions to ask about where the Saints’ faith in Baun lies. Though he technically earned the starting strongside linebacker last season, he rarely saw the field since the Saints spent the overwhelming majority of their time in sub defensive personnel groupings that feature two linebackers. Baun played only 102 defensive snaps in his rookie season, including the playoffs. When the Saints wanted to add some juice to their linebacker corps, they orchestrated a mid-season trade for Kwon Alexander. When Alexander was lost for the season with a torn Achilles, they turned to Alex Anzalone to play alongside Demario Davis in sub packages. After cutting ties with both Alexander and Anzalone this offseason, the Saints selected Pete Werner in the second round of this year’s draft. All of which adds up to wondering where Baun fits in the Saints’ defensive plans. But, to hear the Saints tell it, they saw what they needed to see from Baun while he worked in the background last season. more on NOLA Attached Thumbnails