ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay stuck with a pass-rusher for the New Orleans Saints in his latest mock draft (requires Insider access). But he switched from Florida’s Dante Fowler Jr. to Clemson’s Vic Beasley after both improved their stock during last week’s scouting combine.

McShay moved Fowler all the way up to No. 3.

As I wrote earlier this week, Beasley had one of the most dynamic workouts of any player at the combine. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any linebacker or defensive lineman (4.53 seconds), tied for the most bench-press reps of anyone at those positions (35) and had the third highest vertical leap (41 inches). Most importantly, Beasley did all that while weighing in at 246 pounds – up 26 pounds from last spring.

Fellow ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., however, said on a Thursday conference call that he doesn’t expect Beasley to make it out of the top 10 now after a “phenomenal” combine workout, combined with Beasley’s great college production (25 sacks over the past two years).

That’s not necessarily bad news for the Saints if they’re hoping a top pass rusher will fall to them with the 13th pick, though. If those guys rise, perhaps Nebraska’s Randy Gregory or Missouri’s Shane Ray will drop.

Or if all four of those pass rushers go high, maybe a top offensive lineman such as Iowa’s Brandon Scherff, a top defensive tackle such as Washington’s Danny Shelton or a top cornerback such as Michigan State’s Trae Waynes could fall. Kentucky pass rusher Bud Dupree and LSU cornerback Jalen Collins also improved their stocks with great combine performances and could crack the middle of the first round.

It’s still very early in the pre-draft process, but the more guys on the rise, the better for the Saints.