The NFL Combine begins this weekend, and NFL insider Daniel Jeremiah hosted a conference call on Thursday with media members around the league. During this call, Jeremiah was asked about the New Orleans Saints’ options at 8, specifically to build around QB Tyler Shough, and this is what he had to say:
“Obviously, I like the young tackles (Banks and Fuaga) that they have. That would be a great decision to have if you have a guy like Makai Lemon (WR) and then Jeremiyah Love (RB).”
Jeremiah then went on to talk about Lemon as the pick at 8, which is what he had in his latest mock draft:
“I think I put Jeremiyah Love there previously, so I wanted to see what it would look like there, trying to find a compliment to Chris Olave. He (Lemon) would catch a bazillion balls in that offense from that quarterback with Kellen calling plays. I think he would know exactly how to use Makai Lemon, and he’ll give you easy completions for a young quyarterback, he can work in the middle of the field, he’s tough, and he can help you out if you need to dig out a linebacker in the run game. So, that was kind of looking at a different option there.”
Next, he went back to Love as an option for the Saints:
“I don’t know if there’s a wrong answer. Jeremiyah Love is someone who can impact the pass game as well as a true home run hitter. Jeremiyah Love is one of my top players in the draft, I think he is my second or third overall pl;ayer, but on the runningback thing, yeah, he’s my second, there is somethning to, okay when the team is ready to really take off, then you drop in the runningback, so you utilize all of his carries, they all matter, and theyre helping you get in the playoffs and chase a championship. I think there’s some other pieces to fill before you say that rocket is ready to take off there in New Orleans. So, I kind of like the idea of letting Makai Lemon grow with the young quarterback, and they can play together for 7-10 years or so.”
What Jeremiah laid out about the Saints is a similar thought process to many about this team at 8. Lemon would be an excellent fit and unlock the passing game for New Orleans, but Love is one of the best players in the draft and would vastly improve the run and pass game.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Saints do in April.