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2017 NFL Draft: Final Round 1 Mock for All 32 Picks

By Peter Panacy

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A general view of the stage and podium before the start of the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A general view of the stage and podium before the start of the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster (10) in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game against the Clemson Tigers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster (10) in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game against the Clemson Tigers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

15. . Inside Linebacker. Alabama. Reuben Foster. 11. player

So help the New Orleans Saints if they go offense in Round 1 of the NFL Draft.

Only a fool would suggest that. This defense was about as putrid as it could get last season and, fortunately, this year’s NFL Draft offers up a number of solutions for New Orleans this offseason.

Chief among the needs is a game-changing front-seven force.

Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster fits the bill. He can play any interior linebacker position — a Saints need — and has the wherewithal to emerge as a key cog in a building defense.

Sure, Foster’s NFL Scouting Combine incident and, most recently, his failed drug test might raise some flags. But he’s still far too good a player to pass up.

Especially for a defense needing a great deal of help.