New Orleans Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis made some waves this offseason when, in the wake of several popular veteran players being packed off to other NFL destinations, he questioned the loyalty of his hometown team and mused over the possibility of being shipped off to a new football home as well.
The Saints wound up paying Lewis for his compliance and things have, thus far, quieted, but with the 2015 NFL Draft mere days away and the Saints holding two first-round picks, the fireworks are again set to go off over New Orleans.
While Lewis is, presumably, happier and the Saints don't seem to have a glaring need considering the addition of Brandon Browner and Kyle Wilson, could the first of those two first-round picks, No. 13, go toward securing the franchise a new future at the cornerback position?
"Trae Waynes is a distinct possibility with the 13th pick in Round 1 if he falls that far," Mike Triplett of ESPN said.
Waynes is a long, physical cornerback viewed by many as the best at his position in the draft.
"I didn't think anyone had a better combine than (Trae Waynes). He was faster than I thought and looked great in the drills. He's the top corner and I don't think it's close," an NFC director of personnel told NFL.com's Lance Zierlein.
Waynes, 6-foot, 186-pounds, managed a 4.31 40-yard-dash and added 19 reps on the bench press.
"When you look at the tape, he's a complete player," former NFL executive Bill Polian said of Waynes, via Triplett. "He can tackle, he can play the ball. He can play man, he can play zone. The question was how fast was he gonna run. (At 4.31) he's not gonna be the 14th pick in the draft with that kind of a number, he's gonna be picked higher than that, and he should be."
He is, as Zierlein notes, a bump-and-run cover corner with good deep speed and a seemingly never-ending supply of confidence and mental toughness. He has a high ceiling and combined with his elite athleticism and flexibility, if he works with the right NFL coaching staff, could become a true difference-maker at the professional level.
For the Saints, Lewis and Browner are both high-quality starters on the outside - Wilson, on the other hand, proved to be something of a liability during his time with the New York Jets. Lewis though, is rapidly approaching his 29th birthday and Browner is no spring chicken himself at 30 - he'll be 31 before the start of next season.
Saints GM Mickey Loomis has plenty of defensive holes to fill already and while pass-rusher and linebacker seem like greater needs, if Waynes falls to him in the draft, Loomis will be hard-pressed to pass him up.
