The New Orleans Saints were one of 31 teams to attend the UConn Huskies pro-day, the UConn football team announced. The Tennessee Titans were the only team which was not represented at the event, with everyone else being accounted for. So who were the Saints scouting?
Two Huskies are widely considered to carry draftable grades: right guard Christian Haynes and defensive end Eric Watts. Haynes is generally seen as a second-round prospect, while Watts is considered to be an fourth-round grade. Both players attended the NFL Scouting Combine, and both performed very well which will likely boost their draft stock (and keep them on New Orleans’ radar).
Both players could be seen as fits for the Saints, factoring in positional need as well as the somewhat self-imposed athletic thresholds the team values. Haynes scored a 9.10 on the Relative Athletic Score metric, while Eric Watts scored a 8.22 (which was raised to an 8.24 after his pro day performance).
New Orleans has a need for both positions as well, specifically at guard with Andrus Peat currently in free agency and having a prior meeting with the Tennessee Titans. Additionally, while defensive line is less of a concern with the addition of Chase Young, stocking up at the edges is always a positive, especially with the injury history at the position for the Saints.
Watts seems to be the exact type of prospect New Orleans looks for, standing at 6-foot-5 and 274 pounds with 9 3/4-inch hands and 35 3/4-inch arms. On top of that, he has exceptional speed and ran well in all of the composite speed events. Haynes would also be a welcome addition, as despite his slightly shorter stature at the position, athletically he is absolutely phenomenal. Ultimately, either of these prospects would be a good fit for the Saints, and should be in consideration to have their names called by New Orleans come April.
