<
>

Beckham, Landry meet with Saints

BATON ROUGE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints' trip to LSU’s pro day didn’t end with the on-field workouts Wednesday. LSU receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said he was planning to have dinner with Saints officials on Wednesday night. And Beckham’s father told The Advocate that fellow LSU receiver Jarvis Landry was also scheduled to dine with the Saints.

It’s possible that Saints officials spent extra time with other LSU prospects, as well. As usual, the Saints’ entire coaching staff and front office was out in full force at the Tigers’ pro day, just an hour up the road in Baton Rouge.

But Beckham and Landry must be particularly intriguing prospects for the Saints. A case could be made that the receiver position should rank No. 1 on New Orleans’ wish list now that Marques Colston is the only veteran left on the current roster.

The Saints could use a dynamic athlete to help stretch the field immediately. And they’ll eventually need a replacement for Colston, too.

Beckham would be the most tantalizing option – a speedy athlete who could also serve as a dynamic punt returner. Plus, he was raised in New Orleans and said it’s a “surreal feeling” to even think about getting to play in his hometown.

However, most analysts project that he won’t be around when the Saints pick at No. 27. And Beckham’s impressive performance in pass-catching drills Wednesday only strengthened his case.

Landry also strengthened his draft stock on Wednesday by running the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds (according to LSU). That was a marked and much-needed improvement over his surprisingly slow time of 4.77 seconds at the NFL scouting combine in February.

Landry’s showing could help strengthen his case to be a second-round draft choice.