2011 Cincy Jungle Mock Draft - Round 2 - The New Orleans Saints Select...

For the fifty-sixth pick in the second-annual Cincy Jungle Mock Draft, FriarBob selected is for the New Orleans Saints, who have the standard three picks available. Here is the pick...

With the fifty-sixth pick in the 2011 Cincy Jungle Mock Draft, the New Orleans Saints select...

Mason Foster, OLB, Washington

As discussed in my previous pick for the Saints, they desperately need help in the defensive front seven. They could also use another OT, as Jermon Bushrod has been average at best and horrid at worst. A RB would be nice, but as explained before isn't a super-critical need, and there will be somebody available later on they can grab. Oh and they could use an upgrade at FB as well, but those aren't drafted in the 2nd round unless you're just flat desperate (or crazy... or both). Fortunately, Mickey Loomis is practically a wizard with his late-round picks, getting far more out of them and a higher success rate with them than any sane person should reasonably expect. And with a QB like Drew Brees, who seems to have a downright uncanny sixth sense for moving around in the pocket just enough to avoid the rush and find one of his guys after all, it's not like they need a superstar OL anyway. So it's perfectly reasonable to expect Loomis to deal with the OL later, because despite some uncertainty there it's not truly an emergency situation.

The front seven, however, very nearly is. They probably still need at least one more good DE prospect later in the draft, despite already drafting Cameron Heyward. They could use a DT, but that can wait since they need a young NT who likely will spend the year on the practice squad anyway. And they desperately need some OLBs. They have at least three guys (Jonathan Casillas, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, and Junior Galette) with strong potential already there, with two more young guys (Stanley Arnoux, and Ramon Humber) who are at least possibilities in an emergency (plus a few other rather old veterans who also fit that category), but they have nobody under 30 signed for next year who's actually proven, whether for good or for bad. And while Scott Shanle has done what has been asked of him the last few years and done it mostly decently, he's unsigned anyway and also certainly a weakness that needs improvement. Basically, then, both OLB positions are nothing but an enormous question mark at this point. Oh if Casillas is healthy he's almost certainly going to be the starting weak-side OLB, since he had won that position last year before his injury, but it's still a question mark until at least training camp. And that still leaves a need for a solid strong-side OLB, since Shanle is unsigned, Arnoux is coming off injury yet again, Galette is a DE/OLB tweener, and Jo-Lonn Dunbar is still unproven. So at the very least they need competition at the position, and ideally they really need somebody who can come in and contribute this year.

After all the earlier OLB selections, the field of players worth drafting at this point seems to be narrowed to either Bruce Carter or Mason Foster. I would also consider Dontay Moch, but he looks to be more of a developmental guy who might be able to contribute both in a 3-4 or a 4-3 in a couple of years... but since I need somebody to contribute this year, I won't be taking him now. If he was still there in the 3rd or 4th I might consider him there, but not now. And Carter has several knocks on him, including that: A) he is recovering from injury, B) he was very under-productive in college, and C) he has a reputation as a workout wonder with excellent measurables but little substance.

So this leads me to select Mason Foster. The guy might need a year before he's a full-time starter, but he should come in and contribute as a rookie and be productive. And with five other young guys plus some veterans already on the roster who are at least possibilities, somebody who will contribute right away (and thus, give them reason to cut at least one of the others) is exactly what the Saints need right now if they are going to draft an OLB at all.

Mason Foster Highlights:

Draft Overview: