2021 NFL Draft: Five under-the-radar rookies for the 2021 season
By Kyle Edmond
Pete Werner, LB, NO
The New Orleans Saints have seemingly had strong and steady linebacker play for the last decade or two. From the current group of DeMario Davis and Zack Baun back to Jonathan Vilma, they’ve always found the right players to succeed in the middle of the defense. The next on the list could be Pete Werner.
Taken with the 60th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Werner is currently slated to start alongside Davis and Baun. Werner played well at Ohio State, but having those two around him will make his chances of succeeding much higher.
The last three seasons at Ohio State saw consistency from Werner. His tackle numbers were around the same, being 58 in 2018, 64 in 2019, and then 54 in 2020. His 2020 stats were in just eight games, six fewer than 2019 and four less than 2018. Over his time as a Buckeye, he also tallied 16 tackles for loss and four sacks to go along with 13 passes defended and four fumbles forced.
Werner’s ability to do a little bit of everything will be a key point in New Orleans. Being a more traditional defense in a time that is blurring positional lines a bit, Werner will need to man the middle of the defense with Davis and Baun. That could mean rushing on some plays or dropping back in coverage on others. Given his background at Ohio State, he should do it all well and could be a mainstay in the Saints defense for years to come.