We’re a month away from the 2023 NFL draft, so what will the New Orleans Saints do when it gets there? The latest take comes from NFL.com analyst Charles Davis, who likes it when the Saints pick an underrated pass rusher at the end of the first round. Davis lets the Saints replace their free-hand losses with Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah:
Marcus Davenport is in Minnesota now, and ultra-prolific defensive end Cam Jordan needs a bookend. Much like seven-time Pro Bowler Jordan, Anudike-Uzomah not only harasses quarterbacks but also creates distractions and takeaways.
Finding another defensive end is one of the team’s top priorities after Davenport went free. They drafted Payton Turner as his nominal replacement in the 2021 first round, but Turner has missed even more games through injuries than Davenport in the past two seasons. The Saints don’t know what they have in him, so it makes sense to weigh all the options.
And Anudike-Uzomah is a good one. While other draft prospects like Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness and Clemson’s Myles Murphy have garnered attention in recent weeks, Anudike-Uzomah has been just as productive in college as they have been. He appeared in 27 games for the Wildcats and amassed a career total of 26.5 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks and 8 forced fumbles. The Pro Football Focus charts gave him 43 and 46 pressure points as a starter in the last two seasons.
We’ll have to wait and see if Anudike-Uzomah has the overall athletic profile the Saints value; At 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, he’s short by their usual standards, with 33 1/2-inch arms. But if he does well on agility drills and proves he has the physical abilities to compete in the NFL, he would be a good pick late in the first round or early in the second frame. He’s scheduled to practice at the Kansas State Pro Day on March 31st and we’ll be on the lookout to see if the Saints are in attendance.
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Story originally appeared on Saints Wire
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