New Orleans Saints Draft: RB Taquan Mizzell, Virginia

Most football fans are familiar with the Reese’s Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Classic. The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl? Not so much.

Jan 20, 2017; Carson, CA, USA; National Team running back Taquan Mizzell (25) gets by American Team linebacker Chase Allen (55) in the first half of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl game at StubHub Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Hopefully, someone from the New Orleans Saints were watching. This game put on by the NFL Players Association has apparently been going on for six years. It’s done in a National vs. American format rather than the East/West or North/South. Truth be told, this reporter thought he was recording the East-West Shrine Classic. Regardless, the game was quite entertaining.

University of Virginia running back Taquan Mizzell absolutely lit it up. There were a couple of others who stood out. Similarly, defensive tackle Grover Stewart out of Albany State and safety Lorenzo Jerome out of St. Francis (PA). All things considered though, Mizzell was easily the game’s standout.

In my most recent mock draft for WhoDatDish.com my article had the Saints taking RB Matthew Dayes out of North Carolina State in the sixth round. Scratch that. Everything I said about Dayes being the second coming of Darren Sproles, is what I saw in Mizzell but on steroids.

Mizzell didn’t get an invite to the Senior Bowl though he was on the short list. How he didn’t get an invite is a head scratcher. Sure, Virginia isn’t much of a program these days, but the Senior Bowl gets a lot of kids from less than stellar programs. Moreover, it gives the player a chance to shine on a national stage.

Jan 20, 2017; Carson, CA, USA; National Team running back Taquan Mizzell (25) runs the ball in the first half of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl game at StubHub Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

During his career at Virginia, Mizzell had an illustrious career. Mizzell has the distinction of being the only player in ACC history with 1,500+ receiving yards and 1,500+ rushing yards in the conference’s history. He finished his career at UVA with 43 consecutive games catching a pass. The only game in which he didn’t catch one was his first game for the Cavaliers.

“Smoke”, as he’s known by his teammates, is 5’10”, 190 lbs. and has been clocked as low as 4.36 in the 40-yard dash.

Before the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, he was listed as being a potential sixth round pick in the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft. Having turned heads the way he did in that game definitely improved his draft stock.

Though not in the same status as the Senior Bowl or Shrine Game yet, the Collegiate Bowl played in Los Angeles is an up and comer. The coaching staffs are a who’s who of former NFL players and coaches. For instance, Mike Martz, Jim Zorn, Tory Holt, and T.J. Houshmanzadeh were there to help guide the respecting teams. And with the backing of the NFL Player’s Association it’ll be garnering more attention.

Hopefully the Saints had a contingent there and they saw the same “Smoke” I saw. The Black and Gold has really been missing those screens and wheel routes, and Travaris Cadet just doesn’t have that Darren Sproles/Pierre Thomas flash.