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2015 Mock NFL Draft: Saints add edge rusher in Owamagbe Odighizuwa

After adding a top corner earlier in round one, the Saints continue to shore up their defense.

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Earlier in round one of the 2015 APC Mock Draft, our Brendan Kennedy selected cornerback Trae Waynes for the New Orleans Saints. They have a second pick in the first round, however, as a result of the Jimmy Graham trade with the Seahawks, and Brendan is up again.

Not surprisingly, he goes back to the defense once again, as a few of the better edge rusher prospects remain. With the 31st pick, the Saints select...

Owamagbe Odighizuwa, outside linebacker/defensive end, UCLA

Height: 6' 3-1/2"
Weight: 267 pounds
Combine 40 time: 4.62 seconds

Here's Brendan on the selection:

At some point, the Saints are going to have to address the elephant in the locker room - Drew Brees is 36 years old. That means they'll likely take a quarterback at some point in this draft, but barring an Aaron Rodgers-like slide from Mariota or Winston, it won't be in round one. -- That's fine because like some of his aging contemporaries, Drew Brees rarely takes big hits. Could three more quality years be possible? Totally, meaning the Saints can keep adding players around him. Enter: Owamagbe Odighizuwa. -- Sure, his name looks like my cat just walked across the keyboard, but if his play at UCLA is any indication, announcers better get used to saying it. As a senior last year, Odighizuwa racked up 11.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks and earned himself second team All Pac-12. Oh, and it's also worth mentioning that at 6'3 268 lbs. and less fat than a super model convention, Odighizuwa very much looks the part, possessing a physique that most defensive coordinators would love to have on their side of the ball. -- For the Saints here, they get a talented pass rusher to go with Trae Waynes (selected earlier this round) giving them two core pieces to help a defense that surrendered nearly four touchdowns a game in 2014.

Pick Team Player Position School
1 TB Jameis Winston QB Florida State
2 TEN Leonard Williams DT USC
3 JAX Amari Cooper WR Alabama
4 OAK Randy Gregory OLB/DE Nebraska
5 WAS Dante Fowler, Jr. OLB Florida
6 NYJ Marcus Mariota QB Oregon
7 CHI Vic Beasley OLB Clemson
8 ATL Brandon Scherff OT Iowa
9 NYG Kevin White WR West Virginia
10 STL La'el Collins OT LSU
11 MIN DeVante Parker WR Louisville
12 CLE Danny Shelton DT Washington
13 NO Trae Waynes CB Michigan State
14 MIA Marcus Peters CB Washington
15 SF Malcom Brown DT Texas
16 HOU Landon Collins S Alabama
17 SD T.J. Clemmings OL Pittsburgh
18 KC Andrus Peat OT Stanford
19 CLE (from BUF) Ereck Flowers OT Miami (FL)
20 PHI Jaelen Strong WR Arizona State
21 CIN D.J. Humphries OT Florida
22 PIT Dorial Green-Beckham WR Missouri
23 DET Todd Gurley RB Georgia
24 ARI Jordan Phillips DT Oklahoma
25 CAR Kevin Johnson CB Wake Forest
26 BAL Melvin Gordon III RB Wisconsin
27 DAL P.J. Williams CB Florida State
28 DEN Arik Armstead DE Oregon
29 IND Eddie Goldman NT Florida State
30 GB Shaq Thompson ILB Washington
31 NO (from SEA) Owamagbe Odighizua OLB/DE UCLA
32 NE