Saints 4th Round Pick Thread--KHAIRI FORTT, LB, Cal

Overview

First name is pronounced "ky-REE." Highly recruited USA Today All-American who also played lacrosse and ran track as a Connecticut prep. Suffered a sprained right ACL and bruised tibia as a senior in 2009. Began his college career at Penn State and was a reserve/special-teams player for two seasons. Appeared in nine games in 2010 (one start as an injury replacement) and tallied 17-.5-0. Played all 13 games in '11 and was credited with 33-6-2.5. Had surgery in April '12 to repair a ligament that stabilized the patella in his right knee (dealt with subluxation since ninth grade when he tore the ligament). Following the Jerry Sandusky scandal, transferred to Cal where he was eligible to play immediately, but redshirted while recovering from his knee procedure. In '13, started the first nine games at Will linebacker and produced 64-3.5-.5 before suffering a season-ending biceps injury against Arizona. Strained his left hamstring during NFL Scouting Combine drills and did not run shuttles or the 3-cone drill.
Analysis
Strengths
Good size with a muscular build. Field fast -- moves like a safety. Very athletic and agile. Plays on his feet and bends naturally. Excellent lateral agility -- flows smoothly and has sideline-to-sideline range. Uses his arms like flippers to play off blocks. Loose-hipped to drop into coverage and match with backs and tight ends. Has traits to excel on special teams. Bench-pressed 225 pounds 30 times, tied for most among linebackers at the combine.
Weaknesses
Frame is nearly maxed out. Very average key-and-diagnose skills slow his play speed. Does not always trust what he sees -- takes false steps and hesitates to trigger. Inconsistent run fits and field leverage. Can be stronger at the point of attack. Did not make enough splash plays. Has underachiever traits. Motivation and durability should be looked into.
Draft Projection
Rounds 4-5
Bottom Line
A better athlete than football player at this stage of his development, Fortt transferred from Penn State and played only one season at Cal before making a premature jump to the NFL. Speedy, finesse, see-and-go reactor who looks the part and has intriguing, starter-caliber athleticism to fit on the weak side in a fast-flowing 4-3 where he's freed up to chase the ball. Must sharpen his eyes and instincts to reach his potential.