WhoDat!656

My pick for the New Orleans Saints' pick? Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro.

Honestly, there are about a dozen players the Saints could choose with the 15th pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night without raising any eyebrows. Most draft analysts and the teams themselves seem to agree that the top half of this year's draft is even harder to handicap than most years.

But after eliminating the 14 prospects most likely to be gone before the Saints' pick (including LSU pass rusher Barkevious Mingo), I like Vaccaro's odds of being the highest-rated player on the Saints' draft board just a little more than Georgia linebackers Alec Ogletree and Jarvis Jones, among others.

The Saints won't reach to fill any specific need Thursday night. But those magnets with each prospect's name on the defensive side of their war-room draft board should be able to win a tiebreaker over those magnets on the offensive side - just like they have with the Saints' top pick in each of the past five years.

And Vaccaro has an excellent chance of being the last magnet standing.

The 6-foot, 214-pounder is widely considered the best safety in this year's draft class, with an impressive combination of hard-hitting physicality and solid coverage skills. He could play either safety spot in the NFL. And he could be an eventual successor to Roman Harper or Malcolm Jenkins, both of whom have uncertain futures beyond this year. If not an immediate upgrade.

Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro is best bet for New Orleans Saints' pick in NFL draft that's hard to handicap | NOLA.com

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

jcp026

With the depth at safety, I couldn't draft Vaccaro or any safety that high. We'll find out soon.

saintsfan403

Agreed, I see us going after some sort of pass rusher.

Danno

If all the top pass rushers are taken, and we can't trrade down I'd have no problem with Vacarro.

He's Roman Harper with better hands.

rezburna

Depth at Safety? Where? Vacarro is better then every safety we have already.

Danno

Nonsense. Since 1/3 af 1st rounders end up being busts, how can anyone say any College player is definitley going to be better than a 2-time Pro-bowler in Harper and a guy who's played very well for 1/2 his career in Jenkins?

He has the potential to be better than both, but he hasn't proven squat yet.

hagan714

sure he is one of the few players that is not driven by a lot of hype. you pretty much know what your getting when you pick him

rezburna

I can. Just remember I said it my friend.

Danno

2 days from now no one will remember you said it, or care.

rezburna

I suppose I'll have to remind you of it then. No biggie.