T-1st. David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
Times Mocked to Saints (3/23-3/29): 9 (36 Total)
Experts Who Mocked David Bailey to the Saints
"If you want an impact playmaker off the edge, look no further than Bailey. With 23 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks last season, Bailey was unstoppable thanks to his first-step quickness and relentless pursuit skills...Bailey's burst is the best in the class and will be an ideal fit in Brandon Staley's defense. The Saints could also go wide receiver or corner here, but Bailey would represent great value at this pick." -Miller
"I thought about giving the Saints a receiver here, considering their suspect depth beyond Chris Olave, but the value of getting a top edge rusher prospect at this point is just hard to pass up. Bailey is a tough pass rusher to defend due to his elusiveness and body control. He's a little smaller than teams may like, but the upside is there as a potential Pro Bowler." -Bouda
"Bailey could go as high as No. 2 overall, but this is a reasonable scenario that leaves him on the board here. Even if Cam Jordan ends up returning for another year, New Orleans needs to invest in the next generation of their pass rush, and Bailey would be a fantastic step in that direction." -Easterling
"If Bailey's available, I think he's the pick here. NFL teams covet guys who get home as pass rushers, and there's no more proven commodity in that regard than Bailey; last year, he led the nation with 14.5 sacks, was second nationally with 19.5 TFL, and had a pass rush win rate of 21.6 percent, second in the class behind Rueben Bain Jr. (23.5 percent). He's not a perfect prospect, though. The questions about Bailey's run defense are legitimate—he has a linear build, gets pushed around at the point of attack too easily at times, and doesn't always play with ideal gap discipline—but there's enough upside to justify the selection. While getting QB Tyler Shough a young playmaker on the perimeter opposite Chris Olave is a priority, it will have to wait until Round 2, when there should be plenty of options available from an exceptionally deep WR class." -McShay