Ryan Nielsen at the 2022 LSU Pro Day | New Orleans Saints

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Luc (ScoutWithoutClout)

When Nielsen 1st got here some of our personnel moves were so unique that I was unsure of how it would unfold, but now that his vision’s coming together it’s really become a unique ‘lenght & strength’ unit w/ some ‘wow’ factor. we may be the NFL’s rangiest DL. all strong run defenders w/ motor, IQ, & willingness to sacrifice personal glory for team. This 2022 DL class I didn’t find particularly strong or deep (especially for 4-3 guys that fit our mold, at least), but 3 prospects in particular really stuck out IMO:

1. DT Jordan Davis (UGA) – on the one hand detractors say ‘2 down player’ w/o pass rush who’s oriented 34 nose, yet my eyes see a player collapsing the middle of the pocket consistently vs double teams (even on passing downs). so the narrative I hear isn’t the same as what my eyes see. he’s not rangy like the rest of our unit but neither was Malcolm Brown. Davis is this yr’s wildcard ‘love/hate’ DL prospect. all things considered I grade him higher than consensus (even for Saints alignment) simply from the “most-simplified-possible” perspective (i.e., the best defense was built around him. they won. his teammates’ & team’s success was predicated on his disruption). his nickname should be “headache.” brute force=flashes of Vince Wolfork.

2. DE Cam Thomas (SDSU) – best flashes reminiscent of Henrickson’s tape out of FAU. maybe a hair less upside, but a very high floor player. our DE unit is stacked so it depends on whether we plan to extend Davenport + how long we expect Cam to last. circumstance aside, on just tape alone, he’s one of the few in this class who’s production kept surprising me. maybe not a traits guy like the rest of our crew, but he overachieved so consistently that those kind of players are not the kind of guys I bet against. might be a 49th pick type range, and I know we have other needs, so I don’t think most who dats would ‘get it’ or like it, but side by side I’m not so sure he wouldn’t beat out Turner as our long term strongside LE. might have enough juice to content weakside too. the fact he didn’t measure outstanding makes the value enticing too bc he might be available later bc of it.

3. DT Thomas Booker (Stanford) – for a player projected late, he has some similarities to Devonte Wyatt. a high motor 3 tech who looked formidable vs run & pass w/ a ton of experience across the line. his 7th rd projections just seem extremely unlikely. when we moved up from 237 to 194, I immediately thought Booker (maybe a thumping S like Percy Butler or Reed Blankenship too) but I’d feel lucky to land him at 161 and frankly 120 doesn’t seem outlandish based on tape alone.

honorable mention – DE Josh Pascal (KY) – motor + rangy run D + “off stat sheet” contributor all = fit, but weighed less than expected so I wonder if he has same potential value inside. doesn’t quite fit length traits we normally seek either. still, it’s hard not to appreciate his overall approach to the game which seems fueled by heart.

Very excited for this year’s draft & Who Dat! those are my favorites but I’m excited to see who Nielsen targets.