The New Orleans Saints have met with many prospects this spring to cover their bases and make sure their big board is ready for the 2025 NFL draft. That has included players from various positions, however, linebackers had been somewhat neglected as they had only a few meetings with prospects at that position.
This changed when reports recently came out that the Saints were one of the teams that met with Northwestern linebacker Xander Mueller. In a discussion with Justin Melo of The Draft Network, Mueller reflected on his meetings and which teams he has had the opportunity to speak with so far: “I met with a few teams at the Tropical Bowl in January. I had a few sit-down interviews. I met with the Patriots, Texans, Titans, Chargers, Bears, Raiders, Commanders, Dolphins, and Saints.”
Mueller missed three games in 2024 with a lower-body injury, but he would still produce at a solid level, picking up 57 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 4 pass deflections, and a forced fumble with a recovery. However, his 2023 season is a better indicator, as in 13 games he had 110 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 2 pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
His athleticism is hit or miss in many categories, with a 7.07 Relative Athletic Score from Kent Lee Platte. Mueller performed exceptionally well in the agility drills, with a 4.20-second shuttle, and a 6.99-second three-cone drill. The negatives from his scores would be the 10-yard split at 1.69 seconds, his weight at 230 pounds, and his bench press reps with 12.
Ultimately he has some of the tools that teams look for in a linebacker prospect, and he has shown high-level production previously. Now it just comes down to whether or not the Saints would utilize a Day 3 pick on him, or keep him as a priority undrafted free agent and see how things fall with other teams.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints met with standout Northwestern linebacker Xander Mueller
The New Orleans Saints have met with many prospects this spring to cover their bases and make sure their big board is ready for the 2025 NFL draft. That has included players from various positions, however, linebackers had been somewhat neglected as they had only a few meetings with prospects at that position.
This changed when reports recently came out that the Saints were one of the teams that met with Northwestern linebacker Xander Mueller. In a discussion with Justin Melo of The Draft Network, Mueller reflected on his meetings and which teams he has had the opportunity to speak with so far: “I met with a few teams at the Tropical Bowl in January. I had a few sit-down interviews. I met with the Patriots, Texans, Titans, Chargers, Bears, Raiders, Commanders, Dolphins, and Saints.”
Mueller missed three games in 2024 with a lower-body injury, but he would still produce at a solid level, picking up 57 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 4 pass deflections, and a forced fumble with a recovery. However, his 2023 season is a better indicator, as in 13 games he had 110 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 2 pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
His athleticism is hit or miss in many categories, with a 7.07 Relative Athletic Score from Kent Lee Platte. Mueller performed exceptionally well in the agility drills, with a 4.20-second shuttle, and a 6.99-second three-cone drill. The negatives from his scores would be the 10-yard split at 1.69 seconds, his weight at 230 pounds, and his bench press reps with 12.
Ultimately he has some of the tools that teams look for in a linebacker prospect, and he has shown high-level production previously. Now it just comes down to whether or not the Saints would utilize a Day 3 pick on him, or keep him as a priority undrafted free agent and see how things fall with other teams.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints met with standout Northwestern linebacker Xander Mueller
