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NFL Draft Dog

14 April 2008

Saints Mock Draft

With only about two weeks left till this years NFL draft it’s time to look at what the Saints need. The biggest problem with last year’s team was definitely the secondary. Even with the signing of Randall Gay, the Saints could use another cornerback. Another position the Saints might look too is linebacker. With the acquisition of Jonathan Vilma and ex-Panther, Dan Morgan things are definitely looking up. Scott Fujita is a nice player but they definitely could use an upgrade over him.

With a defense that was ranked towards the bottom of almost every defensive category, it would be no surprise to anyone why the Saints would spend a lot of their picks towards the defensive side of the ball. Just in case anyone forgot a great defense can win you a Super Bowl, just ask the New York Giants.

Every position on the offensive side is filled. Last year’s 1st round pick Robert Meachem just hopes to get on the field this season. Meachem was slowed by a lingering knee injury last season. He missed his entire rookie season. The one area on the offensive side that might get addressed is the tight end position. Eric Johnson was resigned this past season but he is getting old and his numbers have been declining lately. Adding another offensive threat could be a good ideal and also could add just another weapon for Drew Brees.

The Saints only have six picks this season. They gave there fourth rounder to the Jets for Vilma. They are hoping like most Saints fans that Vilma is healthy this year and plays like he did his rookie year. Well here is my mock and I hope all the Saints fans out there enjoy it.

Round 1- Dominique Rogers Cormartie- CB- Tennessee St.- Rogers is one of the best young cornerbacks in this year’s draft. He could come in right away and be a starter for this team. He has great play making abilities and has great balls skills as well.

Round 2- Xavier Adibi- LB- Virginia Tech- Getting Adibi in the 2nd round would be a nice pick for New Orleans. He finished with 115 tackles last season. He also had three sacks and two picks. He is called a very active linebacker with great instincts. He has decent speed and paired with Morgan and Vilma, they could make a great trio for years to come in New Orleans.

Round 3- Jeremy Thompson- DE- Wake Forest- Thompson is a tremendous hard worker and can only get better at the next level. Finished with six sacks last season for the Demon Deacons. Could be used in the nickel/dime situations as a pass rusher specialist. His long arms and potential make him to attractive to pass up here.

Round 5- Jacob Tamme- TE- Kentucky- Tamme could be a great find here in the 5th. Has the talent to be a good player for many years in the NFL. Last season at Kentucky he finished with 56 catches and had six touchdowns as well. One of the great qualities about Tamme is his hands. He has worked hard over the last few seasons to improve in that area and he has. With his speed and great set of hands the Saints could use him to their advantage.

Round 6- Carlton Powell-Virginia Tech- DT- Powell has good speed and does a great job of shedding his blockers. Could be a nice run stopper and also add depth to a position that has been lacking any great run stoppers for the last few seasons.

Round 7- Mike Fladell- Rutgers- Guard- at 6’6 and 324 pounds Fladell is one big boy. He definitely has excellent size to be a guard in the pros. He is very strong and a hard worker. Fladell played some special teams at RU last season and Fladell could bring some size to that position if need be.

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2 March 2008

Saints Draft Needs

With only eight weeks left till the NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints have a lot of thinking to do. Having already traded for Jonathan Vilma and with the resigning of Mark Simoneau it would seem that the linebacker position is set for ’08.

The real question here is what to do with the number ten pick. Even thou the Saints defense improved against the run last season they could use someone in the middle to make the inside much stronger.

On the other hand what about the secondary. They were ranked 30th versus the pass last season. With Mike McKenzie doubtful for the start of camp because of an ACL injury and with the inconsistent play of cornerback Jason David it is easy to see where the biggest weakness is on this team.

With the draft they could solve there cornerback problems immediately. This draft has some of the best young cornerbacks. They would be foolish not to pick one with the number ten pick. One other position they may need to address is the running backs spot.

As it stands now no one is sure what is going to happen to Deuce McAllister. In week three last year, McAllister tore his left ACL. No one is sure if he will be ready for training camp. Reggie Bush had a sub par season. Aaron Stecker was resigned to a one year deal but he is just an average back. No one knows what you will get from Pierre Thomas who did look good when he played. There are just some questions about this position that need to be answered.

Here are a few players that might peak the interest of the Saints coaches and organization as the draft nears. Depending on what they do in free agency this may change but never the less here are some key players to check out.

1. Leodis McKelvin-CB-Troy-Considered one of the top three cornerbacks in this year’s draft. He is very physical and has great speed. He would be a great option at number ten.

2. Mike Jenkins-CB-South Florida-Another player considered to be one of the best at his position. Jenkins is a great coverage guy and has a ton of skills as well. He would fit nicely with the Saints at number ten.

3. Aqib Talib-CB-Kansas- At 6’2 he definitely has great size to play in the next level. Very quick and has a great burst. Very physical and loves to jam his man at the point of attack. Should be there at ten some say he is later round material.

4. Sedrick Ellis-DT-USC-Some consider Ellis the number one ranked DT. He is coming off a year where he had eight sacks. He has all the makings of a great player. He would fit in good with the Saints 4-3 defense. There is a chance he might fall to them at ten.

5. Marcus Harrison-ARK-DT-A pure run stopper. Harrison is 6’3 and weighs 310. He is very strong and could help plug up the middle. He is projected as a 3rd rounder. If New Orleans doesn’t draft Ellis at ten, perhaps Harrison would intrigue them in the 3rd.

6. Tashard Choice-Georgia Tech-RB-With all the question marks at the running back position, Choice would be a great option. He runs hard and has great vision. He has had two consecutive seasons over 1,000 yards in the tough ACC conference. He could be a bit of a sleeper but the fourth round sounds about right for Choice.

By David Gorman

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