Saints rookie Vonn Bell thinks he can be a better blitzer than Tyrann Mathieu

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Despite having veteran starting safeties, Kenny Vaccaro and Jairus Byrd, the New Orleans Saints want safety Vonn Bell to have a role on defense as a rookie.

And even though the Saints drafted Bell for his speed and coverage skills, another talent could help the second-round pick see the field this season.

"I think he's a pressure player, so when he comes, I think he can really get to the quarterback pretty quickly," coach Sean Payton said of Bell. "(He has) good burst. He's done a really good job. He's opened some eyes."

Told of Payton's analysis, though, Bell wasn't surprised. He had a sack and tackle for loss in Saturday's preseason game against the Texans and has been working on his blitzing skills for years because of former LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who's now a star with the Arizona Cardinals.

"I always watched Tyrann, so I said, 'I think I can do a little bit better than him,'" Bell said. "So, we got the one-on-one drills with the running backs, and I won every one. So, I said, 'Nobody can block me out here.'"

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Bell said he thinks he has a natural ability to blitz, but he's focused on Mathieu's skills for a while, watching him at LSU and now in the NFL.

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"When he was back at LSU, you see him always getting to the ball, always stripping it, always causing havoc," Bell said. "And that's what I want to be."

Bell's goal didn't quite come to fruition at Ohio State. He had nine career interceptions, but just one sack, two fumble recoveries and zero forced fumbles in three seasons with the Buckeyes. In two seasons with the Tigers, Mathieu had six sacks, eight fumble recoveries and 11 forced fumbles to go with his four interceptions.

Of course, Bell didn't rush as much as Mathieu, so it would've been hard to match those incredible stats. But, Bell said he's glad Payton has seen the tape that indicates he can contribute in that way.

Bell is so confident in his skills as a blitzer he didn't hesitate when asked if he's better Mathieu in that respect.

"I think I am," he said.

Mathieu had 11 tackles for loss in 2015, so Bell will have to play well and often if he wants to prove he's comparable to the star defensive back.

Bell has been heavily involved in special teams so far this summer, but being behind Vaccaro and Byrd could limit how much he plays defensively. Still, Bell is glad to hear Payton's expectation that he'll have opportunities on defense to show these skills.

"As a young guy, it's a blessing," he said, "but you just got to keep on crawling each day and keep on getting better, keep on earning the respect of the older guys and everything else will take care of itself."

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