The New Orleans Saints appear to have hosted Kansas State right tackle/center Dalton Risner for an official visit ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft, per his official Instagram account. Risner is one of just five players in school history to be named a three-time team captain, and he started all 50 games in his four-year career. He started at center in his freshman year, playing all 13 games, but moved to right tackle for the bulk of his career — an unbroken streak of 37 games. He earned first-team All-American honors at both positions.
He checked every box at the NFL Scouting Combine, weighing in at 6-foot-4 3/4, 312 pounds with 34-inch arms. Risner’s athletic testing was also up to par, and he could potentially play both right tackle and center in the NFL. There’s no physical limitations keeping him at one position or the other, but the Saints probably have some in-house measurements and drills they wanted to put him through to paint a clearer picture of his pro outlook.
Risner is one of the best offensive linemen in this year’s draft, and projects as a first round selection. Of course there’s a chance that he slips down in the draft (which is true of every prospect), so the Saints did their due diligence. Remember, standout right tackle Ryan Ramczyk wasn’t supposed to be available when they picked him late in the first round just a few years ago. If the Saints add Risner to the mix, he could compete to start at center or be a high-quality sixth man on a team that needs a good backup at tackle.
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