Niner Noise
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2018 NFL Draft: Round 1 mock after flurry of NFL trade deadline deals

By Peter Panacy

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell annonces DeForest Buckner of Oregon as the #7 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on April 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell annonces DeForest Buckner of Oregon as the #7 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on April 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBUS, OH – OCTOBER 28: Jerome Baker #17 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after stopping Penn State on downs in the fourth quarter as quarterback Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions walks off the field at Ohio Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Penn Statte 39-38. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH – OCTOBER 28: Jerome Baker #17 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after stopping Penn State on downs in the fourth quarter as quarterback Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions walks off the field at Ohio Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Penn Statte 39-38. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

15. . Inside Linebacker. Ohio State. Jerome Baker. 27. player

There are some serious questions whether or not the New Orleans Saints will try to find a replacement for 38-year-old future Hall of Famer Drew Brees soon, who will also be a free agent this offseason.

But a hunch states Brees returns for a bit longer — he is still playing at a high level — and the Saints draw their attention to their defensive rebuild.

New Orleans’ secondary has improved with the addition of cornerback Marshon Lattimore, but adding an interior presence within the front seven could help even more. Enter Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker.

Baker has played both inside and at outside linebacker, although his 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame likely keeps him in the middle. He has excellent coverage skills, though, which would make this pick solid for the Saints, who failed to land now-49ers linebacker Reuben Foster in last year’s NFL Draft.