I’m told 31 NFL teams are at Clemson today for their pro day. Headlined by Steelers Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert, Dolphins Chris Grier, Bills Brandon Beans, Cardinals Steve Keim and Saints Jeff Ireland.
— Andrew Groover (@APGroover) March 11, 2021
NFL Network’s Andrew Groover reported that 31 of the league’s 32 teams were on hand to evaluate draft prospects at Clemson’s pro day, with a handful of prominent executives headlining the morning’s workouts. And one spectator draws a lot of water for the New Orleans Saints: college scouting director and assistant general manager Jeff Ireland.
It’s unclear where the Saints want to improve in this year’s draft, though we have some ideas about their most important positional needs. And Clemson is a great place to start given their wealth of top draft prospects, including the projected first overall pick Trevor Lawrence. The Saints now own six selections, their first at 28 overall, after receiving three compensatory draft picks.
His supporting cast is legit in their own right, ranging from Jennings, La. native Travis Etienne (an elusive 215-pound running back who timed the 40 yard dash in 4.4 seconds flat, and who I’d love to see team up with Alvin Kamara) to left tackle Jackson Carman and wide receivers Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell. If the Saints want more firepower for their offense, they’re in the right place.
Still, we shouldn’t look too deeply into this. The Saints will be sending scouts and assistant coaches all around the country in the weeks leading up to the 2021 NFL draft to evaluate prospects and time them in athletic drills. The opportunity to meet with players virtually for interviews will allow the Saints to gather more information more quickly. Eventually, everyone will meet with everyone (check our live tracker here). So while it’s interesting to see Ireland spotted at Clemson’s pro day, that doesn’t really tip their hand towards who they’ll be picking on draft day.
