For the second consecutive season the New Orleans Saints will be getting an extra close look at the pro prospects out in Mobile for the Senior Bowl.
The event named its coordinators for the annual showcase this week, with Saints assistant special teams coach Phil Galiano tapped as the special teams coordinator for the National Team.
Last year it was Saints quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry in a primary coaching role for the game, the first year of which the event took on the "coach up" method to give additional experience to coaches who might not otherwise get such opportunities.
The other coordinators for the National Team were announced as Giants QB coach Shea Tierney as OC, and Vikings DBs coach Daronte Jones as DC, with Jets DC Jeff Ulbrich serving as head coach. On the American side it will be Patriots WRs coach Troy Brown as OC, Browns DBs coach Ephraim Banda as DC and Giants assistant special teams coach Mike Adams in the ST role on Titans DL coach Terrell Williams' "staff."
The Saints had several additional coaches involved for the 2023 edition of the game, and that could still be the case this time around as well.
The extra close look is particularly significant for the Saints considering their affinity for drafting or signing players in free agency who they scouted in Mobile in some capacity. Dating back to 2000, the Saints have selected 52 players who participated in the game, and that doesn't include players such as Tanoh Kpassagnon or Khalen Saunders, who were added after being drafted by other teams.
Some of the top prospects in this year's class include standout Washington QB and WR tandem Michael Penix and Rome Odunze, FSU edge rusher Jared Verse and Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe, among many others. The 2024 Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday, Feb. 3, but a bulk of the most important work will be done in the week prior, which includes a handful of open practices and interview time for each team with all 120-plus prospects.
