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New Orleans Saints Must Keep an Eye On Ifo Ekpre-Olomu In 2015 NFL Draft

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By @DraftScout_NFL

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The New Orleans Saints have had a rough 2014 season so far. After starting the season at 2-4, the Saints battled back to reach .500, only to lose in heart-breaking fashion to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10. For a team that was expected to compete for a Super Bowl appearance, 2-5 certainly isn’t where New Orleans wants to be at this point in the season. Why have the Saints fallen off in such a big way? It all starts with a struggling secondary.

Keenan Lewis has played well as the No. 1 corner, but behind him, it’s been a mess for the Saints. Patrick Robinson started off the season as the No. 2 corner before losing his spot to Corey White. White hasn’t fared much better this season, routinely getting beat in coverage and neither White nor Robinson deserve to be starters next season. The Saints need a cornerback in the 2015 NFL Draft, and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu could be exactly who the Saints need to fix their cornerback issues.

Although his draft stock has fallen off slightly this season, the fact is Ekpre-Olomu remains an elite prospect at the cornerback position. With excellent coverage ability, Ekpre-Olomu is able to take away opposing teams’ best receivers with ease, and with a Saints team that needs somebody talented in coverage, Ekpre-Olomu is a perfect fit. Forget about the size concerns that surround Ekpre-Olomu, this is a guy with the talent to be a lock-down corner.

Currently giving up about 259 passing yards per game, the Saints are giving up the ninth-most passing yards per game in the league, and that’s an area in which Ekpre-Olomu would improve this defense immediately. Much like San Diego Chargers‘ rookie cornerback Jason Verrett, Ekpre-Olomu has the ability to play either on the outside or as a nickel corner and thrive either way. With a talent like Ekpre-Olomu joining a secondary that will have Lewis, Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro, the Saints would finally have a secondary built for long-term success.

Simply put, the Saints need Ifo Ekpre-Olomu in their defense. No other corner in the 2015 draft class has the ball skills and ability in coverage that Ekpre-Olomu possesses, and in a Saints defense that would play to his strengths, Ekpre-Olomu would quickly become a star. This is a guy that New Orleans needs to keep an eye on.

Chris Ross is a New Orleans Saints writer for www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter, @DraftScout_NFL, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.  

 

 

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