Ohio State football: Pete Werner goes to Saints in second round
By Ryan Stano
The former Ohio State football player had to wait until the end of the second round to be taken, but the Saints get a good one in Pete Werner.
Pete Werner was the best linebacker the Ohio State football team had on their roster the last two years. I thought Werner had a chance to slide into the end of the first round, but he had to wait until the end of the second to be selected by the New Orleans Saints.
Werner is very versatile. He can get back and cover and showed speed after running a 4.58 40-yard dash at Ohio State’s Pro Day. He is excellent at getting downhill as well to stop the run. Werner is a linebacker who can fill the gap and get a running back down immediately.
Werner led the Buckeyes in tackles this past year and was second in tackles in 2019. He gets all over the field and is a great leader. I truly think the Saints got a steal by grabbing him this late in the Draft. New Orleans’ defense was good, but they need help at linebacker.
Getting a linebacker that’s as versatile as Werner can only help the Saints. Werner should be able to start day one in New Orleans and contribute immediately. I could see him having a ton of tackles in his rookie year right out of the gate.
Werner is the first Buckeye to go on day two. Who will the second Buckeye be off the board today? Plenty more should come off late tonight.