Saints Lorenzo Neal, Jr.: Draft and Post-Draft Notes
News, reports, and notes on New Orleans Saints undrafted rookie signee Lorenzo Neal, Jr, defensive tackle.
Author:
May 17, 2021
New Orleans brought aboard another talented free agent with ties from their father, who once was a player for the franchise. A few weeks ago, Tulane s wide receiver Jalen McCleskey signed with the Saints. His father is former Saints defensive back J.J. McCleskey (1993-1996), a great special team performer.
Sunday after Saints rookie minicamp, defensive tackle Lorenzo Neal, Jr. inked a free-agent deal to join the team. He was the only invited undrafted rookie to try out and receive an offer from New Orleans.
Saints 2021 UDFA Profile: Bryce Thompson
Will this defensive back be the the third straight University of Tennessee undrafted rookie to make an impact for the New Orleans Saints?
Author:
May 5, 2021
The New Orleans Saints have struck gold with undrafted talent out of the University of Tennessee in each of the last two years. Defensive tackle Shy Tuttle went undrafted in 2019 and had an immediate impact as a rookie. He’s had two sacks, ten QB pressures, an interception, and six tackles for loss in his first two seasons and will be an important part of the team’s interior rotation in 2021.
Saints 2021 Draft Prospects: Christian Barmore
Alabama s Christian Barmore is regarded as the top interior lineman of the NFL Draft by many, but still has some elements of his game to be developed.
Author:
Apr 28, 2021
We re about to see the race start that is the NFL draft. The three-day event officially kicks off on Thursday night with the first round, and fans could not be more anxious about what the Saints will do with their 28th overall pick. One potential prospect to keep an eye on throughout the draft process is Alabama s Christian Barmore.
Summary
Barmore was a disruptive presence who wreaked havoc on the interior for the Crimson Tide. He uses his power to win some battles, and it is a big reason why he was known more for being a pass-rushing defensive tackle. Those twists and bull rushes are a big key to his production. He can get stopped at the point of attack by opposing offensive linemen. not getting much push on first contact (see Ole Miss tape). The big knocks o
Saints 2021 Draft Prospects: Tommy Togiai
New Orleans has had great success developing overlooked defensive linemen from major college programs. Could they find more fortunate from a program very familiar to them?
Author:
Apr 21, 2021
The New Orleans Saints have done a terrific job at finding talent at the defensive tackle position that’s been overlooked by other teams in recent years. Taylor Stallworth was added as an undrafted rookie from South Carolina in 2018. Shy Tuttle went undrafted out of Tennessee in 2019. Malcolm Roach was overlooked in last year s draft, but quickly scooped up by the Saints.
Each of those three defenders made an impact for the New Orleans defense as rookies. They teamed with David Onyemata and former 1st round picks Sheldon Rankins and Malcom Brown to give the Saints the deepest pool of defensive tackles in the league. Depth was so complete that Stallworth couldn t even crack the rotation and was released midway through the 2019 season.
Saints 2021 Draft Prospects: Alim McNeill
New Orleans lost two defensive tackles this offseason. Could they bolster their defensive interior by drafting this All-ACC defender?
Author:
Apr 7, 2021
The New Orleans Saints had one of the NFL s best defenses in 2020. One reason for this was a deep and talented group of defensive linemen. Especially at defensive tackle, where David Onyemata, Sheldon Rankins, Malcom Brown, Shy Tuttle, and Malcolm Roach maintained a fresh and disruptive interior rotation.
Brown was traded to Jacksonville this offseason in a salary cap move, while Rankins signed with the Jets as a free agent. Onyemata is an emerging star, and former UDFAs Tuttle and Roach have shown flashes of productivity.