The New Orleans Saints scouts and coaches attended the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine with notebooks, stopwatches, and binoculars at the ready, and their efforts were rewarded. Here’s seven draft prospects who stood up above the rest, and who might be available when the Saints make their first selection in the 2019 NFL Draft at 62 overall:
WR N’Keal Harry, Arizona State
Harry put up great numbers for a wide receiver of his size (6-foot-2, 228-pounds) by timing a comfortable 4.53-second 40-yard dash and crushing his jumps, leaping 38 1/2-inches vertically and 122-inches broad. He also logged 27 bench reps at 225-pounds, a rare total for a receiver. Harry looked the part of a big, strong athlete.
TE Foster Moreau, LSU
Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but an underused skills-position prospect out of LSU measured very well, and looks to produce better in the pros than in college. Moreau passed any NFL benchmarks for his size (6-foot-4, 253-pounds) while raising eyebrows with his speed in the 40-yard dash (4.66-seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.11-seconds). He also jumped out of Lucas Oil Stadium with a 36 1/2-inch vertical jump, and even-more-impressive 121-inch broad jump.
DT Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame
Tillery is tall and lean for a defensive tackle (6-foot-6 1/2, 295-pounds) but ran well (timing 4.93-seconds in the 40-yard dash, and 4.33-seconds in the shuttle) and showed some explosive ability in his jumps (32-inch vertical, 115-inch broad). He was also one of the few players the Saints were reported to have met with, so there’s some level of interest there.
OL Chris Lindstrom, Boston College
Lindstrom was a four-year starter in college at both guard and tackle, and proved he has the physical tools to play at either spot during combine testing. He passed any size benchmarks with flying colors, measuring 6-foot-3 3/4, 308-pounds, with 34 1/8-inch arms. On top of that, Lindstrom put up a very nice 4.91-second 40-yard dash and 4.54-second shuttle, showcasing his speed. His explosive ability was also clear in his jumps (30 1/2-inch vertical, 117-inch broad), and his short-area mobility is another asset (seen in his 7.61-second three-cone drill, a rare feat for a lineman).
WR Terry McLaurin, Ohio State
It’s impressive any time a wide receiver times the 40-yard dash in 4.35-seconds. It’s even more impressive when someone like McLaurin accomplishes that at 6-foot-0, 208-pounds. But that wasn’t enough for McLaurin — he went on to crush nearly every other drill, including the vertical jump (37 1/2-inches), broad jump (125-inches), and shuttle (4.15-seconds), though his three-cone time (7.01-seconds) was more pedestrian. He also posted 18 reps on the bench press, a testament to his preparation.
OL Erik McCoy, Texas A&M
The Aggies center did everything he needed to boost his draft stock, except for the three-cone drill (timing a very poor 8.28-seconds). Everything else McCoy did was great; he passed size thresholds for NFL centers and guards at 6-foot-3 7/8, 303-pounds with 33-inch arms, and turned heads in every other athletics testing drill. His 40-yard dash (4.89-seconds) and shuttle (4.62-seconds) were each very impressive, as were his jumps (31-inches vertical, 107-inches broad). Maybe he’ll improve that three-cone at his pro day.
TE Kahale Warring, San Diego State
Here’s a great name to track. Really, Warring is a terrific name for a tight end. But the San Diego State product tore up the turf with his speed scores, timing 4.67-seconds in the 40-yard dash and 4.25-seconds in the shuttle. Each of his jumps (36 1/2-inches vertical, 122-inches broad) were among the combine’s best. Warring is a tall pass-catcher (6-foot-5 1/8, 252-pounds) who can move, and the Saints could certainly use someone with his skills.
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