Saints at workout for supplemental draft prospect Marcus Simms

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The New Orleans Saints may have made all their selections in the 2019 NFL Draft and signed a crowd of undrafted rookie free agents, but they’re still in the business of acquiring talent from the college ranks. Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst reported that the Saints were one of 16 NFL teams to send scouts to a pro day workout for former West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Marcus Simms.

The supplemental draft works differently from the event held earlier this year. A handful of prospects — usually late entries or players the NCAA ruled ineligible to continue playing in college — are scouted and interviewed by interested teams, then listed in a process similar to the NFL waiver wire. Teams bid future draft picks as each player’s name is called, with the highest-valued selection earning that player’s contract.

Because the Saints used next year’s second-round draft pick to move up in the 2019 draft (selecting center Erik McCoy) and adding a fourth-round pick (which turned into defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson), they are already lacking some draft capital. But Simms is a prospect who is expected to go in the later rounds, if he is picked at all in the supplemental draft.

Simms’ pro day reportedly went well, as he weighed in at 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds before timing the 40-yard dash in three runs of 4.49, 4.45 and 4.40 seconds. His three-cone time of 6.91 seconds would have ranked among the best at the position at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.

In college, Simms did most of his damage vertically by catching 87 passes and gaining 1,457 receiving yards — a clip of 16.7 yards per reception. He also has experience on special teams, having returned 23 punts and 41 kickoffs in his Mountaineers career. His style of play has been compared to former Saints wide receiver Kenny Stills by Brad Kelly of The Draft Network.

The Saints did not add a receiver in this year’s draft despite their inconsistencies at the position, suggesting trust in the development of second-year players Tre’Quan Smith and Keith Kirkwood. Simms could end up being a quality addition later in the summer if the Saints are comfortable spending another draft pick ahead of schedule.

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