The New Orleans Saints used one of their final picks in the 2019 NFL Draft to add Notre Dame tight end prospect Alize Mack, and the 6-foot-4, 250 pounder wants them to know that he’s grateful for the chance to compete for a spot on their roster.
“I’m going to take full responsibility and full advantage of this opportunity, and I can’t wait,” Mack explained in a conference call with local media following his selection. He reflected on an official pre-draft visit he took to New Orleans, touring team facilities and meeting privately with coaches. “It felt like home as soon as I came down there.”
When asked what the Saints are getting with him, he replied, “A weapon. You’re going to get a guy who can do it all, a guy who can line up in-line, a guy who can line up on the outside and be a mismatch problem vertically down the field, a guy who can be a huge red zone threat.”
The numbers back up his words. Per Pro Football Focus charting, Mack lined up all over the formation for Notre Dame. Check out his splits from his 2018 season:
- 51.1% of snaps inline
- 30.6% of snaps in the slot
- 16.7% of snaps in the backfield
- 1.5% of snaps at wide receiver
That’s a perfect fit for what the Saints ask out of their tight ends, using them as mismatch weapons to set opponents up to fail. If Mack can succeed in those roles and continue to develop (he caught just 36 passes last year for 360 yards, three of them in the endzone) he can become a real threat in due time.
But Mack’s perspective extends beyond his box score numbers. “And more so than that, you’re going to get a dude that’s going to come to work every single day regardless of what’s going on, I’m going to come in every single day ready to go, ready to compete — no doubt.”
