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Saints double up on defense in Todd McShay's Mock Draft 4.0

Todd McShay's latest mock draft would be a great one for the New Orleans Saints.

The ESPN NFL draft analyst has the Saints landing Clemson pass-rusher Vic Beasley with the 13th pick and Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson at No. 31 in his Mock Draft 4.0Insider, which requires Insider access.

Those are two of the Saints' biggest needs, and most analysts seem to agree Beasley and Johnson are among the top options at their respective positions.

I've seen many mock draft that project Beasley to go higher -- but if he does, perhaps another top edge rusher will fall. McShay has pass-rushers Dante Fowler Jr., Randy Gregory and Shane Ray all going in his top 8.

I've written a lot about Beasley this offseason since he's been often paired with the Saints in mock drafts -- at least until he boosted his stock with a dazzling performance at the NFL scouting combine last month. The 6-foot-3, 246-pounder had 25 sacks over the past two years. He bulked up quite a bit before the combine but still ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any linebacker or defensive lineman (4.53 seconds). He also tied for the most bench-press reps of anyone at those positions (35).

Johnson (6-0, 188) started 41 games in college. He had only seven career interceptions, but ESPN Scouts Inc. rates his cover skills as "exceptional." Johnson is often described as "fluid" and his athleticism is a plus. His 40-yard dash time at the combine (4.52 seconds) was solid, but he impressed even more in the jumping drills, including a 41.5-inch vertical leap. He has decent size and length, though his physicality in run support isn't his strongest suit.

McShay wrote that Johnson "isn't exceptional in any one trait, but he's good in every area." CBSSports.com's Rob Rang compared him to former Saints cornerback Tracy Porter.