Would the Saints consider a defensive player instead of support for Tyler Shough?
Mock draft season is in full swing, and the speculation about which player the New Orleans Saints will select has begun. Tyler Shough is a leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, and it makes sense to select an offensive skill position player to bolster the offense for Kellen Moore and the quarterback. The Saints' winning ways pushed them to the number eight overall pick, which is a fine place to be for an immediate impact player.
Yes, the NFL Draft is a bit of a crapshoot. The chances of hitting on a player in the first round are just above 40 percent, with each round dropping that percentage by nearly half. The first round is the best place to be to end up with a cornerstone player on either side of the ball. The Saints seem to have a hit on their hands with Kelvin Banks, Jr.
So, what to do with the number eight pick? Perhaps a wide receiver? Pro Football Focus has released its latest mock draft and has the Saints selecting a defensive lineman with the eighth overall pick.
Max Chadwick of PFF explains his selection:
DL Peter Woods, Clemson
Bryan Bresee hasn’t lived up to his first-round billing through three seasons so far, so the Saints look to replace him with another Clemson defensive tackle here in Woods. He has an impressive 87.1 career PFF grade with prodigious power and quickness at 6-foot-3, 310 pounds.
Highly coveted safety Caleb Downs went the pick before to Washington, and you'd have to imagine if he's available at number eight, the Saints will run the card up to the podium. However, Woods would be a fine selection for the defensive line with the chance Cam Jordan doesn't return in 2026.
Here is Woods scouting report, courtesy of Matt Holder of Bleacher Report:
- Good size with impressive movement skills and quickness for a defensive tackle.
- Plenty of upper body strength and pop in his hands to stand up offensive linemen and gain control of the block. Also is quick to shoot his hands and keeps his hands tight to protect his chest.
- Very good at getting off blocks, stack-and-shedding looks easy for him and has a hump move to escape, too.
- Against double teams, Woods attacks the man he's lined up across and has showed the ability to get skinny and occasionally split combo blocks.
- Has the combination of power and movement skills to develop into a quality pass-rusher down the line.
Woods isn't known as a pass rusher so that part of his game will have to develop, but he has a great base as a run defender. His pro comparison is Jeffery Simmons. The Saints can improve their run defense with this selection. Stopping the run allows the defensive line to pin their ears back and rush the quarterback.