Here’s a curious call in the final round of 2023 mock drafts. With the real thing just hours away, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler shared his take on what the New Orleans Saints (and every other team) may do in the first round of selections on Thursday night.
And he has them curving a fan-favorite prospect with former Northwestern defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore being passed up in favor of another defensive tackle at No. 29. We’ll let Brugler make the case in his own words for the Saints picking Michigan Wolverines prospect Mazi Smith:
The Saints want to get better on the defensive line with this pick, and an edge defender like Myles Murphy makes sense. But Smith would give New Orleans the hulking nose tackle it desperately needs to improve its run defense.
Now, New Orleans doesn’t “desperately need” a hulking nose tackle after they signed Khalen Saunders to fill that role in free agency, but adding Smith wouldn’t hurt. He’s a good player and the best run defender in this draft class. But he doesn’t fit the niche the Saints are looking to fill at defensive tackle. They need an agile lineman with experience rushing the passer from the three-technique spot, and while Smith can push the pocket a little that’s hardly his main draw as a draft prospect.
Ironically, it’s exactly the projection for Adebawore to the next level, though he wasn’t asked to line up inside often at Northwestern. His college coaches played him out on the edge at defensive end but NFL coaches have almost exclusively been working him out at defensive tackle, projecting him to thrive in a move to the interior. But Brugler is as clued-in and well-sourced as it gets in this industry. Maybe the Saints are higher on Smith and his fit in their defense than we’re expecting.
