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Top 5 Inside Linebacker Targets for the Saints
Posted on 4/13/15 at 8:59 am
Posted on 4/13/15 at 8:59 am
Saw this on Big Easy Believer and its a great read by a great Saints writer Barry Hirstius, if you have never heard of him or read his stuff you should check him out.
1. Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State Bulldogs
LINK
In these most recent few months leading up to the Draft (basically when the Saints season ended at the end of December), I have managed to come full circle with my admiration for the potential targets of the Saints at ILB.
First, it was McKinney; but that was until I saw the film of Miami Hurricanes ILB Denzel Perryman, whose hard-hitting, bone-jarring tackles made me reminisce about the old legendary linebackers for the Saints known as the Dome Patrol of the 1980’s.
However, I’ve since cooled on Perryman (more on that in a moment), and now I’ve reaffirmed McKinney as the player I think the Saints should target beginning with the 31st pick, assuming a team like Green Bay right before the Saints at #30, doesn’t get him first.
In my opinion, McKinney is easily the best inside linebacker in this entire Draft and the only one that I can legitimately see going in the first round.
McKinney has two stand-out traits that make him the best in my opinion: athleticism and versatility.
McKinney was a quarterback in his school, who led the team in passing AND rushing, before switching to the defensive side of the football. Even more impressive is his versatility, since he can play in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 scheme — something that only a few other players can do, but none of them as well as McKinney can.
McKinney was a starter for all four of his seasons at Starkville and played well while defending both the run and pass. He is an instinctive, aggressive, and fundamentally sound defender who can blow up plays while maintaining control of the middle of the field.
At 6 foot 5 inches and 250 pounds, McKinney has great size to go along with excellent speed (a 4.68 40 yard dash time), and is someone that I believe can come in and start right away (and be productive doing it) as a rookie.
One thing interesting to note is that to my knowledge, the Saints either will meet or already have met will every single prospect on this list, except McKinney — though based on Payton and Loomis’s past, I think McKinney WILL still be a target of theirs (they’ve been known to still pick players anyway that they hadn’t met with, prior to the Draft).
2. Stephone Anthony, Clemson Tigers
LINK
Two weeks ago at this time if you had asked me, Perryman of Miami would have been my top guy at ILB, but two things happened recently that changed my mind.
The first thing is that the Saints brought in Clemson ILB Stephone Anthony in for a private workout few weeks back; which not long after was soon followed by the severe hamstring injury (more on that coming up) suffered by Perryman while running the 40 yard dash at his Pro Day down in Miami two weeks ago.
As a result (as you see here ), I’ve dropped Perryman further down, and elevated both McKinney and Anthony.
Like McKinney, Anthony is scheme versatile and can play in any defense. He is also capable of playing the Mike or the Will (as I explained on the first page) in either scheme.
Anthony has been steadily rising up just about every NFL team’s Draft Board; after back-to-back standout performances in both the Senior Bowl in late January, and the Scouting Combine in February.
Scouts say that Anthony is as “tough as nails”, and instinctive. He can use his hands effectively and shed off blocks very quickly, and takes good angles in pursuit of a ball-carrier.
He is also very good at dropping into pass coverage, and shows the capability of playing either man or zone. Additionally, he’s also an effective blitzer, something that Rob Ryan would no doubt like to do a lot of with Anthony if he is taken by the Saints.
While I would suppose that there is a chance he can get drafted at the end of the first round by the Saints at #31, I feel that more than likely that he’ll still be there at #44 in Round 2 — where the Saints could then pounce on him.
3. Eric Kendricks, UCLA Bruins
LINK
There are a lot of people who actually have Kendricks as their top guy at ILB, and that’s understandable. After all, he is an All-American and the Butkus Trophy Award winner for the nation’s top linebacker in 2014.
Pound for pound and based on that 2014 season (and the rest of his college career), Kendricks may actually be performance-wise the best LB coming out in this entire Draft, but not everyone is a believer in his abilty to translate that success to the next level.
The Saints are scheduled to meet with Kendricks tomorrow, which suggests that they are in fact at the very least intrigued by the possibility of what he can bring to their defense.
Where most scouts and observers disagree with each other is how Kendricks’ size and skill-set will carry over into the NFL.
He’s 6’0, 225 pounds and there are times when some scouts say that he simply gets over-powered by offensive linemen; with the prevailing thought being that he doesn’t have the natural frame to bulk up and play any bigger than 235 (without it making him slower and thus making him a liability in coverages).
They also say that he is a naturally better fit as a Will in a 4-3 scheme, rather than a base 3-4 (which as I explained on the first page is what the Saints utilize); though the argument can be made that Rob Ryan uses a variety of both schemes in his assorted bag of tricks used to fool opposing offenses.
My guess personally is that if the Saints felt that Kendricks couldn’t play in their defense, then they wouldn’t even be meeting with him.
1. Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State Bulldogs
LINK
In these most recent few months leading up to the Draft (basically when the Saints season ended at the end of December), I have managed to come full circle with my admiration for the potential targets of the Saints at ILB.
First, it was McKinney; but that was until I saw the film of Miami Hurricanes ILB Denzel Perryman, whose hard-hitting, bone-jarring tackles made me reminisce about the old legendary linebackers for the Saints known as the Dome Patrol of the 1980’s.
However, I’ve since cooled on Perryman (more on that in a moment), and now I’ve reaffirmed McKinney as the player I think the Saints should target beginning with the 31st pick, assuming a team like Green Bay right before the Saints at #30, doesn’t get him first.
In my opinion, McKinney is easily the best inside linebacker in this entire Draft and the only one that I can legitimately see going in the first round.
McKinney has two stand-out traits that make him the best in my opinion: athleticism and versatility.
McKinney was a quarterback in his school, who led the team in passing AND rushing, before switching to the defensive side of the football. Even more impressive is his versatility, since he can play in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 scheme — something that only a few other players can do, but none of them as well as McKinney can.
McKinney was a starter for all four of his seasons at Starkville and played well while defending both the run and pass. He is an instinctive, aggressive, and fundamentally sound defender who can blow up plays while maintaining control of the middle of the field.
At 6 foot 5 inches and 250 pounds, McKinney has great size to go along with excellent speed (a 4.68 40 yard dash time), and is someone that I believe can come in and start right away (and be productive doing it) as a rookie.
One thing interesting to note is that to my knowledge, the Saints either will meet or already have met will every single prospect on this list, except McKinney — though based on Payton and Loomis’s past, I think McKinney WILL still be a target of theirs (they’ve been known to still pick players anyway that they hadn’t met with, prior to the Draft).
2. Stephone Anthony, Clemson Tigers
LINK
Two weeks ago at this time if you had asked me, Perryman of Miami would have been my top guy at ILB, but two things happened recently that changed my mind.
The first thing is that the Saints brought in Clemson ILB Stephone Anthony in for a private workout few weeks back; which not long after was soon followed by the severe hamstring injury (more on that coming up) suffered by Perryman while running the 40 yard dash at his Pro Day down in Miami two weeks ago.
As a result (as you see here ), I’ve dropped Perryman further down, and elevated both McKinney and Anthony.
Like McKinney, Anthony is scheme versatile and can play in any defense. He is also capable of playing the Mike or the Will (as I explained on the first page) in either scheme.
Anthony has been steadily rising up just about every NFL team’s Draft Board; after back-to-back standout performances in both the Senior Bowl in late January, and the Scouting Combine in February.
Scouts say that Anthony is as “tough as nails”, and instinctive. He can use his hands effectively and shed off blocks very quickly, and takes good angles in pursuit of a ball-carrier.
He is also very good at dropping into pass coverage, and shows the capability of playing either man or zone. Additionally, he’s also an effective blitzer, something that Rob Ryan would no doubt like to do a lot of with Anthony if he is taken by the Saints.
While I would suppose that there is a chance he can get drafted at the end of the first round by the Saints at #31, I feel that more than likely that he’ll still be there at #44 in Round 2 — where the Saints could then pounce on him.
3. Eric Kendricks, UCLA Bruins
LINK
There are a lot of people who actually have Kendricks as their top guy at ILB, and that’s understandable. After all, he is an All-American and the Butkus Trophy Award winner for the nation’s top linebacker in 2014.
Pound for pound and based on that 2014 season (and the rest of his college career), Kendricks may actually be performance-wise the best LB coming out in this entire Draft, but not everyone is a believer in his abilty to translate that success to the next level.
The Saints are scheduled to meet with Kendricks tomorrow, which suggests that they are in fact at the very least intrigued by the possibility of what he can bring to their defense.
Where most scouts and observers disagree with each other is how Kendricks’ size and skill-set will carry over into the NFL.
He’s 6’0, 225 pounds and there are times when some scouts say that he simply gets over-powered by offensive linemen; with the prevailing thought being that he doesn’t have the natural frame to bulk up and play any bigger than 235 (without it making him slower and thus making him a liability in coverages).
They also say that he is a naturally better fit as a Will in a 4-3 scheme, rather than a base 3-4 (which as I explained on the first page is what the Saints utilize); though the argument can be made that Rob Ryan uses a variety of both schemes in his assorted bag of tricks used to fool opposing offenses.
My guess personally is that if the Saints felt that Kendricks couldn’t play in their defense, then they wouldn’t even be meeting with him.
This post was edited on 4/13/15 at 9:02 am
6
Posted on 4/13/15 at 8:59 am to Meateye
4. Denzel Perryman, Miami Hurricanes
LINK
Now we come to the one player that on a personal note, is a difficult one to criticize given my noted appreciation for both his playing ability and the passion he brings to the game unlike any other prospect in this entire Draft — at ANY position.
If you’ve read any of my articles on the Saints where I cover the upcoming 2015 Draft, then you’re already well-aware of my shameless man-crush on Perryman because of the sense of pride and passion and the intangibles of HEART and TENACITY that he brings to the table, some things that the Saints defense notably lacked last year.
Then of course there’s my shameless gushing over his capability to deliver those hard-hitting, bone-jarring tackles to opponents that have made him famous.
As I’ve also stated previously, Perryman is smart and disciplined, something the current Saints linebackers on the roster have been notoriously lacking.
He’s played both weakside and middle linebacker at Miami, but his skill set might be better suited for the inside of a base 3-4 system which the Saints employ.
So —- why the sudden change of heart?
I worry about his durability, and his chances of remaining healthy at least for the majority of his professional career.
One of the biggest knocks on Perryman other than his lack of size (he’s 5’11) and his vulnerability in pass coverage is that he is injury-prone, and that reared its ugly head again just two weeks ago at Miami’s Pro Day.
After having had dinner at a posh Miami restaurant with Saints brass (presumably Payton, Loomis, Ryan, and asst. GM Jeff Ireland) just the previous night before, Perryman suffered what by all accounts was a SEVERE hamstring injury while attempting to run the 40 yard dash, an injury that is said will keep him out until the start of Training Camp.
Though that can be considered as just being a freak occurrence and something that can happen to any athlete at any given time, I think it’s more indicative of what some scouts have been saying about him all along; and for me, the proverbial “bloom has come off of the rose” on Perryman, in that regard.
5. Paul Dawson, TCU Horned Frogs
LINK
There are some people in our sports media industry (notably NFL Media’s Mike Mayock) who are passionately in love with TCU ILB Paul Dawson, who coincidentally the well-traveled Saints brass went and watched perform at his Pro Day just three short weeks ago in Dallas.
While I am impressed with Dawson’s play-making ability, he doesn’t have great range, has had some well-publicized character issues (no matter how much he tried to downplay them at the Combine) and isn’t known to have the best work ethic.
Like Kendricks and Perryman, he’s smaller in size (6 feet even and 235 pounds) but can deliver the big hits.
But his lack of speed (he ran a disappointing 4.93 in the 40 at the Combine), is even a bigger red flag than his character. Several scouts on hand noted that regardless of how talented Dawson is, no linebacker who goes out and runs a 4.9+ is going to get picked in the first round.
Despite those concerns about his size and speed, Dawson’s strength combined with his quick hands and instinctiveness make him a desired target for many LB-needy teams (like Green Bay and San Francisco).
His reputation as a big-play maker (136 tackles, including 20 tackles for a loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, five passes batted and four interceptions in 2014) is well-earned (he either caused or recovered a total of 8 turnovers last year), and he will be a starter at the NFL level.
Depending on what the other teams do ahead of them, Dawson may still be the best available ILB when the Saints are on the clock at a given point, and if he’s still there, you can bet that the Saints won’t hesitate to pull the trigger…….
Big Easy Believer
LINK
Now we come to the one player that on a personal note, is a difficult one to criticize given my noted appreciation for both his playing ability and the passion he brings to the game unlike any other prospect in this entire Draft — at ANY position.
If you’ve read any of my articles on the Saints where I cover the upcoming 2015 Draft, then you’re already well-aware of my shameless man-crush on Perryman because of the sense of pride and passion and the intangibles of HEART and TENACITY that he brings to the table, some things that the Saints defense notably lacked last year.
Then of course there’s my shameless gushing over his capability to deliver those hard-hitting, bone-jarring tackles to opponents that have made him famous.
As I’ve also stated previously, Perryman is smart and disciplined, something the current Saints linebackers on the roster have been notoriously lacking.
He’s played both weakside and middle linebacker at Miami, but his skill set might be better suited for the inside of a base 3-4 system which the Saints employ.
So —- why the sudden change of heart?
I worry about his durability, and his chances of remaining healthy at least for the majority of his professional career.
One of the biggest knocks on Perryman other than his lack of size (he’s 5’11) and his vulnerability in pass coverage is that he is injury-prone, and that reared its ugly head again just two weeks ago at Miami’s Pro Day.
After having had dinner at a posh Miami restaurant with Saints brass (presumably Payton, Loomis, Ryan, and asst. GM Jeff Ireland) just the previous night before, Perryman suffered what by all accounts was a SEVERE hamstring injury while attempting to run the 40 yard dash, an injury that is said will keep him out until the start of Training Camp.
Though that can be considered as just being a freak occurrence and something that can happen to any athlete at any given time, I think it’s more indicative of what some scouts have been saying about him all along; and for me, the proverbial “bloom has come off of the rose” on Perryman, in that regard.
5. Paul Dawson, TCU Horned Frogs
LINK
There are some people in our sports media industry (notably NFL Media’s Mike Mayock) who are passionately in love with TCU ILB Paul Dawson, who coincidentally the well-traveled Saints brass went and watched perform at his Pro Day just three short weeks ago in Dallas.
While I am impressed with Dawson’s play-making ability, he doesn’t have great range, has had some well-publicized character issues (no matter how much he tried to downplay them at the Combine) and isn’t known to have the best work ethic.
Like Kendricks and Perryman, he’s smaller in size (6 feet even and 235 pounds) but can deliver the big hits.
But his lack of speed (he ran a disappointing 4.93 in the 40 at the Combine), is even a bigger red flag than his character. Several scouts on hand noted that regardless of how talented Dawson is, no linebacker who goes out and runs a 4.9+ is going to get picked in the first round.
Despite those concerns about his size and speed, Dawson’s strength combined with his quick hands and instinctiveness make him a desired target for many LB-needy teams (like Green Bay and San Francisco).
His reputation as a big-play maker (136 tackles, including 20 tackles for a loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, five passes batted and four interceptions in 2014) is well-earned (he either caused or recovered a total of 8 turnovers last year), and he will be a starter at the NFL level.
Depending on what the other teams do ahead of them, Dawson may still be the best available ILB when the Saints are on the clock at a given point, and if he’s still there, you can bet that the Saints won’t hesitate to pull the trigger…….
Big Easy Believer
Posted on 4/13/15 at 9:03 am to Meateye
That's basically just the top 5 LBers in the draft. 
Posted on 4/13/15 at 9:06 am to Meateye
Anthony
McKinney
Dawson
Perryman
Kendricks
Give me any of the at 44 and i'll be happy, but that's my order of preference.
McKinney
Dawson
Perryman
Kendricks
Give me any of the at 44 and i'll be happy, but that's my order of preference.
This post was edited on 4/13/15 at 9:07 am
Posted on 4/13/15 at 9:06 am to Meateye
So lets get McKinney Perryman and Anthony 
Posted on 4/13/15 at 9:06 am to Meateye
I hope we get Kendricks at 31. We desperately need a player who can cover the middle of the field and that's his strong suit.
Posted on 4/13/15 at 9:17 am to Tingle
quote:
I hope we get Kendricks at 31. We desperately need a player who can cover the middle of the field and that's his strong sui
He is definitely better at pass coverage than any of the others.
I think the best all around prospect is Anthony though.JMHO
Posted on 4/13/15 at 9:19 am to Meateye
I'll be happy with any of those 5, but my preferred order right now is (and they are all close):
1a. Anthony
1b. Kendricks
3. Dawson
4. Perryman
5. McKinney
Also wanted to point out that with Philly trading for Kiko, and re-signing Ryans, there is speculation that they could trade Mychal Kendricks (Eric's brother). He's been hurt, and I don't know how much they would rather another vet (in addition to Ellerbe and Hawthorne) vs getting a rookie to develop, but he may be a draft day option.
1a. Anthony
1b. Kendricks
3. Dawson
4. Perryman
5. McKinney
Also wanted to point out that with Philly trading for Kiko, and re-signing Ryans, there is speculation that they could trade Mychal Kendricks (Eric's brother). He's been hurt, and I don't know how much they would rather another vet (in addition to Ellerbe and Hawthorne) vs getting a rookie to develop, but he may be a draft day option.
This post was edited on 4/13/15 at 9:22 am
Posted on 4/13/15 at 9:20 am to Meateye
McKinney AND Paul Dawson would make an intriguing duo.
Posted on 4/13/15 at 9:20 am to Meateye
quote:True. Can't go wrong with Anthony or Kendricks. Man, the draft can't come soon enough.
I think the best all around prospect is Anthony though.
Posted on 4/13/15 at 9:37 am to HollierThanThou
I like McKinney, but that is only because I watched him make a lot of plays against LSU. It seems like we have a lot of guys to chose from either at 31, or at 44.
This post was edited on 4/13/15 at 9:39 am
Posted on 4/13/15 at 9:38 am to Tingle
really, wouldn't any of'em prolly be an upgrade?
I liked McKinney the most to start with. The more I have researched the more I think he is a two down thumper. Looks way too stiff for coverage IMO.
Kendricks or Perryman are solid #31s for me. McKinney, Anthony, & Dawson more of a stretch. Any of them at 44 would be deluxe tho.
I liked McKinney the most to start with. The more I have researched the more I think he is a two down thumper. Looks way too stiff for coverage IMO.
Kendricks or Perryman are solid #31s for me. McKinney, Anthony, & Dawson more of a stretch. Any of them at 44 would be deluxe tho.
Posted on 4/13/15 at 9:42 am to blueslover
Posted on 4/13/15 at 10:02 am to Chad504boy
more just from film... a real stuffer. The more I watched him in open space the less I liked.
Yer not really citing Lofton's numbers from 7 years ago, are ya? Moise Fokou prolly outmeasureables him now.
Yer not really citing Lofton's numbers from 7 years ago, are ya? Moise Fokou prolly outmeasureables him now.
Posted on 4/13/15 at 10:04 am to Meateye
quote:
But his lack of speed (he ran a disappointing 4.93 in the 40 at the Combine), is even a bigger red flag than his character. Several scouts on hand noted that regardless of how talented Dawson is, no linebacker who goes out and runs a 4.9+ is going to get picked in the first round.
The 4.93 is surely an eye opener; I think that's atypical of his real speed. He did run a 4.5 at his Pro Day.
I know many don't trust Pro Day stats but I find it hard to believe he was as productive as he was if he was really that slow on the field.
Posted on 4/13/15 at 10:14 am to blueslover
quote:
more just from film... a real stuffer. The more I watched him in open space the less I liked.
Yeah, I'm not real high on McKinney either. I've watched a few of his games recently, and he just doesn't look fluid enough. I've seen a scouting report refer to him as a "thumper who can't thump," which I thought was pretty accurate after watching him.
Posted on 4/13/15 at 10:22 am to Meateye
quote:
He’s 6’0, 225 pounds and there are times when some scouts say that he simply gets over-powered by offensive linemen; with the prevailing thought being that he doesn’t have the natural frame to bulk up and play any bigger than 235 (without it making him slower and thus making him a liability in coverages).
the write-ups are well written, but it is misinformation like this that makes the author lose all credibility.
Kendricks weighed 232 at the combine, and the same weight at his pro day.
If you're going to rant about his weight, at least get his actual weight right. Sheesh.
Posted on 4/13/15 at 10:24 am to Lester Earl
quote:
the write-ups are well written, but it is misinformation like this that makes the author lose all credibility.
Kendricks weighed 232 at the combine, and the same weight at his pro day.
maybe 225 was more in line with his UCLA playing weight. Knowing your weight is an issue and trying to bulk up a few lbs during offseason is not that irrational.
Posted on 4/13/15 at 10:25 am to Chad504boy
quote:
with the prevailing thought being that he doesn’t have the natural frame to bulk up and play any bigger than 235
yea, but then says this?
so he runs a 4.61 at 232lbs, but can't bulk up 3 more pounds without losing speed?
Posted on 4/13/15 at 10:28 am to mm2316
quote:
I've seen a scouting report refer to him as a "thumper who can't thump," which I thought was pretty accurate after watching him.
I agree with this.
The problem is these "thumper" type LBs take too much of a beating and can't stay on the field...that would be especially true with our DL playing the way they have.
This post was edited on 4/13/15 at 10:30 am
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