NFL.com expert has sky-high expectations for Saints rookies
The New Orleans Saints have what looks like one of the best draft classes in 2016. That’s on paper, at least.
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Sheldon Rankins should be a gem of a pass-rusher, and it’s hard not to be thrilled about him and Cameron Jordan becoming the league’s next Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware duo. Can these two get that far?
It’s certainly possible, but Rankins isn’t the only guy Saints fans and pundits are excited about that was selected in the draft a couple of weeks ago. 6-foot-2 wide receiver Michael Thomas joins an arsenal of offensive playmakers that includes Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and tight end Coby Fleener.
As such, the Saints should expect plenty from their rookies on both sides of the ball, and NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread is one of the many who thinks they’ll produce in their first seasons.
Goodbread listed his projections for the top 100 rookies in 2016, and he listed Rankins at four and Thomas at 15. Here’s what he said about Rankins:
“The Saints had the second-worst run defense in the NFL last year. The need was clear, and Sean Payton has suggested Rankins can be an every-down player. His quickness as a pass rusher was evident at the Reese’s Senior Bowl in January.”
Rankins will join James Laurinaitis and Nick Fairley as the new pass-rushers in New Orleans. Part of the reason the Saints surrendered the most points last season was because there was almost zero pressure on running backs and quarterbacks in 2015.
Should Rankins even produce a fraction of what he displayed in college, it could be all the Saints need to make a run at the playoffs.
As for Thomas? More from Goodbread:
“Putting Thomas together with Drew Brees can be as dynamic a pairing as any combination of veteran quarterback and drafted receiver.”
It’s hard to not be excited about Thomas. Just look at the guys Brees has made stars (or at least productive): Joe Horn, Marques Colston, Robert Meachem, Jimmy Graham, Benjamin Watson, Cooks and Snead.
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