Boston Scott of Louisiana Tech Drafted by the New Orleans Saints

For the third straight year, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have at least one player drafted in the NFL Draft. Running back Boston Scott was selected in the sixth round with the 201st pick by the New Orleans Saints.

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The Zachary High School product walked on at Louisiana Tech and spent his first two years buried in the depth chart while star Kenneth Dixon was the focus of the Bulldogs’ run game. Scott only recorded one rush for three yards as a redshirt freshman. He saw more action as a sophomore in 2015, but was still third on the depth chart.

After Dixon graduated and was drafted by the Ravens, Scott had his chance. He and fellow junior Jarred Craft took over and tag-teamed in the La Tech backfield. Although Craft was usually the technical starter, Scott was as much a starter as he was. In his final two seasons, Scott amassed a combined 1,452 rushing yards on 233 carries, along with 31 catches for 306 yards. He scored 14 touchdowns on the ground and one through the air.

He’s a small back at 5’6” 203 lbs, but he can be fast and shifty. He can be explosive and make defenders miss in space.

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The Saints are basically set at running back for now with the combination of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, although Scott will have an opportunity to learn from the veteran Ingram and last year’s offensive rookie of the year Kamara. Scott could, however, be in a position to make an impact through special teams for the time being. Although he never returned a punt in a college game, he says he’s comfortable with doing so. He returned 29 kickoffs in college over three seasons, recording 633 total return yards over those three years. His longest return was his sophomore year for 89 yards.

If Scott does indeed have a successful NFL career ahead of him, my gut tells me it won’t be with the Saints. Assuming he earns a roster spot, he’ll probably be a special teams player for a few years. Kamara was just a rookie last year, and Ingram is 28. Unless Ingram calls it quits sooner rather than later, Scott will probably end up being traded away or signed elsewhere in a future free agency before he has a chance to really make an impact on offense. That said, the Saints drafted him for a reason, so they must think he can be valuable for them. Scott hails from south Louisiana, and many La Tech fans are also Saints fans. A lot of people will be rooting for him to make it work in New Orleans. You never know.

Although Boston Scott was the only Bulldog drafted, three of his teammates inked free agency deals. OL Joshua Outlaw signed with the Colts, fellow running back Jarred Craft signed with the Steelers, and safety Secdrick Cooper signed with the Saints’ archrival Atlanta Falcons. Could we see some Dawg-on-Dawg crime twice a year in the NFC South?