The New Orleans Saints are continuing to leave no stone unturned in pursuit of defensive improvement. Per ESPN’s Mike Triplett, former Oakland Raiders second round draft pick Obi Melifonwu is visiting New Orleans on Tuesday.

Safety Obi Melifonwu is scheduled to visit the Saints today, I’m told. A second-round pick last year, he was waived/injured by the Raiders last week and also reportedly visited the Cowboys and Patriots. — Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) October 30, 2018

Melifonwu (6-foot-3, 227-pounds) was a heralded prospect out of Connecticut, destroying every athletics test he was put through at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine. Some of his feats include a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and a 141-inch broad jump. These numbers validated the traits he showed on college tape and in practices at that year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl, ably covering tight ends and slot receivers alike while closing fast on tackles in the open field.

But things went south the minute Melifonwu was drafted by the Raiders. He started his rookie year on injured reserve from a preseason leg injury, and he went returned to I.R. after just five games with a hip problem that required surgery. Doubts existed as to whether safety or cornerback were his best positions even before the draft, but that’s where the Raiders put him.

For his part, Melifonwu expressed at that year’s Combine that he felt most comfortable playing linebacker. He also sounded optimistic when talking to the Advocate about his fit in Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s system.

I always remember Obi telling us at Combine he wanted to play LB when everyone wanted to make him a CB. Maybe the NFL should listen to him. — Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) August 23, 2018

Being so far removed from the line of scrimmage limited the impact Melifonwu could have around the ball and amplified his struggles in diagnosing and reacting to what the offense was doing in front of him. Part of the reason Oakland cut him so soon as they didn’t think he loved football enough to thrive as a pro; maybe the real problem was that he knew he was being put out of place, his coaches were ignoring him, and his morale sank because of it?

To sum it up, Melifonwu often wasn’t available for the Raiders. And when he was on the field, they lined him up out of position, where he played poorly.

Melifonwu has already worked out for the Dallas Cowboys (who start one of his college teammates, Byron Jones, at cornerback) and his hometown New England Patriots (Melifonwu grew up an hour outside of Boston), but neither team signed him. For what it’s worth, Melifonwu was someone who intrigued the Saints when he came out of college and made a pre-draft trip to New Orleans as a top-30 visit. Whether he signs with the team, or which position he’d even play remains to be seen, but he could certainly help them.