At pick 172, New Orleans gets more depth, this time at edge rusher. Nadame Tucker, out of Western Michigan, is a bit undersized for a traditional edge (6’2 and 247 pounds), but he gets the job done. He led the FBS with 14.5 sacks last season and 21 tackles for a loss. He was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year before dominating the Senior Bowl week of practices, culminating with two sacks in the game.

Tucker’s first step makes up for his lack of length, as he explodes off the snap and gets into the backfield before the offensive linemen have a chance to react. He converts pressures into sacks; he doesn’t just chase the quarterback out of the pocket. His sample size is tiny, with just one season in the FBS, and missed tackles are a problem, which is why he struggled in run defense. He will start off on special teams and obviously third-down passing situations.