Pete Werner: What the scouts said pre-draft about Saints 2nd-round LB
Pete Werner was picked by the Saints late in the second round of the 2021 draft, putting him in the middle of a tier of linebackers that were selected between picks 50 and 80. That group included Azeez Ojulari (50), Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (52), Nick Bolton (58), Joseph Ossai (69), and Chazz Surratt (78), with Werner slotted in near the halfway point at 60.
The pick surprised some Saints fans, who were hoping for LSU prospect Jabril Cox (who fell all the way down to 115). But what was the word on Werner going into the draft? Let’s check in with a couple of prominent draft guides.
Pro Football Focus
Despite writing glowingly of Werner's abilities to start right away, the Pro Football Focus draft guide graded Werner as a fifth-round prospect:
"Werner has been a mainstay for the past three years in Ohio State's defense. He has the ideal NFL body type for the position that can hold up between the tackle with ease. While Werner possesses no singular elite trait, his biggest selling point is that he can execute pretty much any role without being a liability. You won't have to protect him with scheme in coverage or worry about him taking on blocks in the run game. That has value to defensive coordinators."
The Athletic
Dane Brugler's expansive draft guide, "The Beast," agreed with PFF's assessment, though Brugler dinged Werner for inconsistent performance in pass coverage, "up-and-down" showing on tackles in the open field, and a lack of ball skills. His positive takeaways:
"Plays with the lateral athleticism and burst in pursuit ... uses his hands to pass off blocks, redirect and chase ... leverages his gaps and stays assignment sound in the run game ... shows range in coverage ... skilled at resetting his eyes and quickly finding the football ... leads with his face as a tackler and drives through his man ... gives blockers the slip as a blitzer because of his quickness and steady effort ... plays with a gritty mentality and active hands ... high achiever in the classroom and that intelligence translates to the field."
NFL.com
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein sees some flaws that could limit Werner's upside at the pro level, though he expects the linebacker to enjoy a strong career on special teams:
"Werner has a versatile linebacker background but is best-suited as a 4-3 Sam with walk-out coverage abilities against certain slot tight ends. He doesn't have playmaking athleticism that stands out as a pro prospect. While his listed size certainly looks NFL-ready, his long, thin lower half is not conducive to leveraging run lanes and overcoming the big bodies that will be coming his way as a pro. He's a physical striker with adequate trigger twitch. Werner has the talent and demeanor to compete for a roster spot as a backup strong-side linebacker and full-time special teamer."
Ourlads
Longtime NFL scout Dan Shonka of Ourlads was more optimistic about Werner's pro potential:
"A versatile player working at the “Buzz” position in the Ohio State defense. Has lined up in the box, as an overhang player and a middle safety. His role has been as a hybrid who plays in and out of the box which projects well to the NFL. Instinctive, he shows quick, accurate fits at inside gaps."
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