Saints' 2013 Draft Class

The 2013 NFL Draft is now in the books, and there was not shortage of storylines. From quarterbacks dropping to Manti Tao going later than expected to the Jets adding their sixth QB to their roster, the Draft is always an exciting time.

On the Saints front, fans can follow the mantra, In Loomis We Trust. Loomis has hit on many late picks over the years and fans know Saints scouts will search far and wide for talent (Hofstra, Bloomberg, Regina) and now they can add Tarleton State to the list.

There was excitement in the first round when many highly ranked prospects dropped, but the Saints went with a guy that had been tied to them in safety Kenny Vaccaro. Some Saints fans wanted Jarvis Jones from Georgia, but Vaccaro helps the backend of the defense, in an area that was certainly needed. The best thing about the pick is it could mean less playing time for Roman Harper, which is a good thing for improving the defense.

Perhaps more exciting than the first round for Saints fans was Round 3, when after sitting idle for all of Round 2, the Saints' turn finally came around and they selected OT Terron Armstead of Arkan sas Pine Bluff.  Then moments later, the Saints were back on the clock, having traded up, to select DT John Jenkins of Georgia. They traded two 4th round picks to move up, but where'd the extra 4th come from? The rumored Chris Ivory trade to the Jets finally happened, so essentially, the Saints turned a luxury running back into an anchor for the new look 3-4 defense.

Here's a look at the Saints 2013 Draft Class:

Round 1, pick 15: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas

 Round 3, pick 75: Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas Pine Bluff

Round 3, pick 82: John Jenkins, DT, Georgia

Round 5, pick 144: Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma

Round 6, pick 183: Rufus Johnson, DE/LB, Tarleton State

Looking over the list, the Saints had a solid draft and certainly improved their team. Here's a look at some of the grades the team's five-member draft class has received:

• Mel Kiper Jr: B
• Walter Football: A
• SI.com: C
• USA Today: B+
• Sporting News: B
• CBS Sports Pete Prisco: B+
• CBS Sports Rob Rang: B-
• Yahoo: B+
• Fox Sports: B-, B+ and B

If I had to assign a letter grade on this draft, I think B+ is a fair one, but you don't really know the value of a draft class for 2-3 years.

Who will the Saints draft?

It's the day of the 2013 NFL Draft, basically Christmas morning for NFL fans as their teams are picking out a new set of toys. The Saints are picking basically in the middle of the 1st round at 15, and it's still anyone's guess where they'll go with the pick. Heck, it still anyone's guess who the top pick is going to be, let alone who will be available at #15.

I can't recall a draft with this much uncertainty before. Its the day of the draft, and there's still talk of guys leaping up into the top 10 (Tavon Austin, D.J. Hayden, Ryan Nassib) or players slipping out of the first round (Geno Smith, Corderelle Patterson, Bjoern Werner). They always say the draft is a crapshoot and that's never been more true than this year.

The Times-Picayune took a sample of 50 mock drafts to see what the Saints were projected to do, and the majority show that LB Jarvis Jones would be the selection. The next highest player was Barkevious Mingo, who is getting a lot of buzz as a top 10 pick. If he slides, I'm sure the Saints would be happy to turn in their card with his name on it.

In the same vein as the Times-Picayune, here's a look at a few mocks and who they have the Saints selecting:

• Mike Mayock: Barkevious Mingo, OLB/DE, LSU
• Sports Illustrated's Don Banks: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia
• Sports Illustrated's Peter King: Sylvester Williams, DT, UNC
• SI.com's Twitter Fan Vote: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Goergia
• NFL Draft Countdown: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
• Walter Football: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
• NFL.com Gil Brandt: Sylvester Williams, DT, UNC
• NFL.com Daniel Jeremiah: D.J. Flucker, OT, Alabama
• Mike Detillier: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia
• Larry Holder, Times-Picayune: Barkevious Mingo, OLB/DE, LSU
• Nakia Hogan, Times-Picayune: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia

With all that uncertainty, this much is clear, most "experts" have the Saints taking defense in Round 1. BUT ... the Saints have been known to throw out some curveballs in the draft, so I wouldn't be surprised if they went with someone that was unexpected, and that's what makes the draft so much fun. 

If I had to narrow down the pick based on who will likely be available, I think the choice will come down to Jarvis Jones or Kenny Vaccaro, with the team choosing Jones since pass rushers are a more sought after position and safeties can be found later in the draft. If one of the top defensive linemen like Sheldon Richardson or Star Lotulelei is there, they may have to pull the trigger and take them. 

A Look at the Saints Draft Targets

It's Super Bowl Week, but fans of 30 teams have their eyes focused on another area this time of year: the NFL Draft. The Senior Bowl was held this past weekend, and fans are learning all about the top prospects who will head to the Combine in a few short weeks. With the labor dispute and a hold on free agent signings, the Draft will get more attention than ever.

Here's a look at who the Saints may be targeting with the #24 pick:

• Sports Illustrated's Don Banks: Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
• Foxsports: Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue
• Mike Detillier: Cameron Jordan, DE, Cal
• DraftCountdown.com: Cameron Jordan, DE, Cal
• Walter Football: J.J. Watt DE, Wisconsin
• NE Patriots Draft: Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia
• NFL Draft Today: Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
• Running the Zone: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
• Fantasy Football Xtreme: Cameron Hayward, DE, Ohio State
• Optimum Scouting: Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia
• FootballFanSpot: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
• NFL Draft Blitz: Cameron Jordan, DE, Cal
• New NFL Draft: Adrian Clayborn, DE/DT, Iowa
• NFL Draft Updates: Bruce Carter, OLB, UNC
• Football Draft Analysis: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
• New Sport Draft: Adrian Clayborn, DE/DT, Iowa
• Fantasy CPR: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
• Draft King: Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
• Draft Tek: Mikel LaShoure, RB, Illinois
• Ultimate Mock: Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
• Xtra Point Football: Allen Bailey, DE/DT, Miami
  

Sean Payton: "Home Team"

My next book purchase? Definitely, "Home Team" by New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton. Everything I've read so far about the book gives it high praise. Of course any Saints fan will love to get a peak behind the curtain and learn what their team's head coach is thinking. Want a taste of what's included in the book? Check out the Times-Picayune's 10 Memorable Quotes. I'll be sure to put up my thoughts after I get a chance to read it.

Saints Announce UDFA Signings

The Saints have announced their list of undrafted free agents. The list includes an LSU Tiger, Mel Kiper's favorite long snapper and a guy who painted his face for games and went by the nickname "ManKind." The 14 players will participate in rookie mini camp May 7-9. Most of these players' best shot will be making the practice squad, but the Saints have not hesitated to keep UDFAs on the active roster and give them playing time. Just look at Pierre Thomas, Jonathan Casillas or Jo-Lonn Dunbar among the examples.

Here are the Saints newest rookies:

• Jason Beauchamp – Linebacker, UNLV
• Chris Bell – Wide Receiver, Norfolk State
• Carlos Brown – Running Back, Michigan
• Brandon Carter – Guard, Texas Tech
• Harry Coleman – Linebacker, LSU
• Christian Ducré – Running Back, Mississippi State
• Junior Galette – Defensive End, Stillman
• Clint Gresham – Long Snapper, TCU
• Ryan Hamilton – Safety, Vanderbilt
• Chris Ivory – Running Back, Tiffin
• Jay Ross – Defensive Tackle, East Carolina
• Brandon Sharpe – Defensive End, Texas Tech
• Joe Tonga – Guard, Indiana (Pa.)
• Marcell Young – Cornerback, Jackson State

Saints 2010 Draft

Here's a look at the players the Saints selected in this year's draft:

Round 1, pick 32: Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State
As I mentioned the other day, this selection initially raised some eyebrows. But the Saints have a plan and they went with their top rated player, which turned out to be a trend in this year's draft. The Saints are a team that looks to the future (not the future as in this season, but the future as in 3-4 years down the road) when they draft and most of this year's selections were made with an eye toward the future.

Round 2, pick 64: Charles Brown, OT, USC
Charles Brown was another surprise pick, one that even surprised the Saints. They had no plans to take a tackle early, but Brown represented great value at the end of the 2nd round. Many mock drafts had him going in the first round, and the Saints figured he'd be long gone by the time they picked. Brown may be the eventual replacement for Jammal Brown, who is looking for a long-term deal. All three of the Saints left tackles are only under contract for this season, with Jammal Brown still yet to sign his restricted free agent tender. So Charles Brown may be more of a need than fans realize at this point.

Round 3, pick 95: Jimmy Graham, TE, Miami (Fla.)
Jimmy Graham is an interested prospect. He only played one year of college football, after playing on the Miami basketball team. He is still raw as a football player, but he has all the potential in the world. Now it will be interesting to see if the Saints can fulfill that potential.

Round 4, pick 123: Al Woods, DT, LSUAl Woods was a fast riser leading up to the draft. After not fully living up to the expectations fans had for him when he was recruited to LSU, NFL scouts fell in love with him at workouts. He has the size and the tools needed to be a good defensive tackle, but once again the Saints need to make sure he fulfills that potential. He should definitely see time in the d-line rotation this season, as the Saints played a number of players there last year.

Round 5, pick 158: Matt Tennant, C, Boston College
Another pick with an eye to the future, the Saints traded back into the draft to take Matt Tennant. Jonathan Goodwin has been a solid center since he gained the starting position, but almost everyone realizes that this area could be upgraded. Tennant will be able to learn behind Goodwin for a year or two before being asked to anchor the line.

Round 7, pick 239: Sean Canfield, QB, Oregon State
Sean Payton is a QB guru, and he likes to have a project or two to work with at the position. This year he'll have a right hander in Chase Daniel and a lefty in Sean Canfield to groom as Drew Brees' understudy. Canfield was one of the more accurate QBs in the nation last season but he only had one full year as a starter. A project QB is worth a later 7th round pick.

Saints Select Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State

The Saints raised some eye brows with the first round pick, Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State. The surprise wasn't that the Saints went defense, that's the area that most saw the team targeting. The surprise was that they chose a corner, perhaps the deepest position on the Saints defensive roster.

But after putting more thought into the selection, it isn't as much of a surprise. In free agency, the team addressed their biggest need at defensive end. That left them to choose the best player they felt was available at 32. As Coach Payton mentioned in his post 1st round press conference, corner is a tough position to fill and it's a major need position for everyone. You can never have enough corners, and even with the Saints depth there last season, they still had to sign Mike McKenzie and Chris McAllister to fill in.

Robinson also gives them more flexibility in the secondary and a guy like Malcolm Jenkins could see time at safety now. As every team, the Saints are happy with their selection and feel that they are a better team with the first rounder on board.

Pre-Draft Saints News

The NFL schedule comes out tonight, but Commissioner Goodell gave an early preview by revealing the Saints Thursday night opening opponent, and it wasn't much of a surprise. The opener will be a rematch of the NFC Championship Game, Saints vs. Vikings. I'm sure the league is confident Brett Favre will be the Vikings QB, and Saints fans would love nothing more than to see Favre harassed on the Super Dome turf once again.

In other news, the Saints have signed DE Jimmy Wilkerson to a one-year deal. Wilkerson, along with Alex Brown's signing last week, gives the Saints solid two-deep depth at both DE positions, and it also removed DE as one of the top needs in the draft. The Saints are now more inclined to take the best player available, with a strong emphasis on OLB, DT and safety.

Update: The Saints are also playing on Thanksgiving day! The Saints will play at Dallas, according to WDSU. The Saints will also have nationally televised games against the Steelers on Halloween, at San Francisco and at Atlanta.

A look at the NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is a week from Thursday. That's right, Thursday. The NFL decided to move this year's selection event to prime time, and it will be televised over three days: Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

I'm not sure how I feel about this change. I enjoyed the weekend-long NFL Draft, but this new format might make it more exciting. With breaks after the 1st and 2nd/3rd rounds, teams will have more time to restack their boards, and we may see more teams trying to move up at the start of the 2nd and 4th rounds.

Looking at the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints, the team has picks in each round except the 5th, and they will pick in the last slot (before compensatory selections) of each round. Here's a look at who a few mock draft have the Saints taking in round 1:

• SI.com Don Banks: Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri
• Mike Tripplett - Times Picayune: Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU
• NFL.com Charles Davis: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
  
• Draft Countdown: Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri
• The Football Expert: Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri
• The NFL Manager: Everson Griffen, DE, USC
• Fantasy Tailgate: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
• ProSports Draft: Brian Price, DT, UCLA
• Walter Football: Brian Price, DT, UCLA
• NFL Draft Post: Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
• Draft Season: Navorro Bowman, LB, Penn State
• NFL Draft Today: Brian Price, DT, UCLA
• East Coast Sports: Daryl Washington, LB, TCU
• New Sport Draft: Sergio Kindle, LB/DE, Texas
  

2010 NFL Draft Order

With the regular season coming to an end, the top of the NFL Draft order is set (playoff teams' draft slot will be determined once they are eliminated from the playoffs). Here's a look at the 2010 NFL Draft:

1. St. Louis (1-15)
2. Detroit (2-14)
3. Tampa Bay (3-13)
4. Washington (4-12)
5. Kansas City (4-12)
6. Seattle (5-11)
7. Cleveland (5-11)
8. Oakland (5-11)
9. Buffalo (6-10)
10. Jacksonville (7-9) ~ coin flip
    
11. Denver (from Chicago) (7-9) ~ coin flip
12. Miami (7-9)
13. San Francisco (8-8)
14. Seattle (from Denver) (8-8)
15. New York Giants (8-8)
16. Tennessee (8-8) ~ coin flip
17. San Francisco (from Carolina) (8-8) ~ coin flip
18. Pittsburgh (9-7)
19. Atlanta (9-7) ~ coin flip
20. Houston (9-7) ~ coin flip
21. New York Jets* (9-7)
22. Baltimore* (9-7)
23. Arizona* (10-6)
24. Green Bay* (11-5)
25. Cincinnati* (10-6)
26. New England* (10-6)
27. Philadelphia* (11-5)
28. Dallas* (11-5)
29. Minnesota* (12-4)
30. San Diego* (13-3)
31. New Orleans* (13-3)
32. Indianapolis* (14-2)

A Very Early Look at the 2010 NFL Draft

Sure it's only week 2 of the NFL season, but it's never too early to start looking toward the NFL Draft. Many draft pundits and Web sites had mock drafts out for 2010 only minutes after the 2009 draft ended (some even before).

With a whole lot of things changing between now and next April, let's have some fun and see who a few sites have the Saints eying next year.

• NFL Draft Blitz: Pick #14 - Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
• Walter Football: Pick #29 - Rennie Curran, OLB, Georgia
• NFL Draft Dog: Pick #29 - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
• New NFL Draft: Pick #28 - Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
• NE Patriots Draft: Pick #19 - Reshad Jones, S, Georgia
• Sports Fantasy Guide: Pick #21 - Terrance Cody, DT, Alabama
• DraftTek: Pick #21 - Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky
• DK Sports: Pick #19 - Reshad Jones, S, Georgia
• Great Blue North: Pick #28 - Kris O'Dowd, C, USC
• Football Draft Analysis: Pick #17 - Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
• Draft King: Pick #20 - Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky
• Sports2Debate: Pick #20 - George Selvie, DE, South Florida
  

Saints Sign 1st Round Pick Jenkins

The Saints have finally agreed to a deal with 1st round pick Malcolm Jenkins. I'm not sure what took so long since the player picked just before and after Jenkins agreed to deal before camp, but at least it's done now. With five days before the Saints first preseason game, fans will likely get to see him in action on Friday.

Saints Sign Two Draft Picks

The Saints have signed Chip Vaughn and Thomas Morstead to four-year deals, according to the Times Picayune. This is good news, and they'll be in camp on time. Now the focus turns to signing 1st round pick Malcolm Jenkins, but don't look for that deal to get done right away.

First Look at Saints Rookies

Rookie mini camp opened today for the Saints. There's not much news coming out of the camp yet, but the Times-Picayune has some info. Check out their site for first impressions and a mini camp roster. They also have pictures from the camp, here.

Early news from the Picayune, LBs Stanley Arnoux and Jonathan Casillas are nursing injuries. Arnoux suffered his injury today and Casillas' one is pre-existing. WR John Halman tore his Achilles tendon.

Here's a first look at some of the team's rookies from Getty Images:

Malcolm Jenkins:

Chip Vaughn:

Thomas Morstead:

Saints 2009 Rookie Class

Here's a look at the 2009 Saints rookie class, who will participate in Rookie Mini Camp this weekend:

• #6 Thomas Morstead, P, SMU (5th Round Draft Pick)
• #14 Patrick Cowan, QB, UCLA (UDFA)
• #18 Kenneth Harris, WR, Georgia (UDFA)
• #27 Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State (1st Round Draft Pick)
• #35 Reggie Jones, CB, Portland State (UDFA)
• #37 Chip Vuaghn, S, Wake Forest (4th Round Draft Pick)
• #38 Danny Gorrer, CB, Texas A&M (UDFA)
• #43 P.J. Hill, RB, Wisconsin (UDFA)
• #57 Stanley Arnoux, LB, Wake Forest (4th Round Draft Pick)
• #61 Alex Fletcher, C, Stanford (UDFA)
• #62 Jonathan Casillas, LB, Wisconsin (UDFA)
• #63 Jeremy Parnell, DE, Mississippi (UDFA)
• #65 Cedric Dockery, OT, Texas (UDFA)
• #69 Sam McNaulty, OT, Clark Atlanta (UDFA)

The Times Picayune helped clear up Herb Donaldson's situation. The Western Illinois RB wasn't part of the 10 UDFA that the team announced as signing, but he'll participate in the rookie camp this weekend. The article says that he agreed to terms, so I'm not sure why he wasn't included in the press release about the other UDFAs.

Update: The Saints announced the signing of three more UDFAs today. The team has also cut Biren Ealy and Kolo Kapanui, two players who were recently arrested. Here's a look at the three new UDFAs:

• #13 Chris Vaughn, WR, Louisville (UDFA)
• #40 Herb Donaldson, RB, Western Illinois (UDFA)
• #68 Augustus Parrish, OT, Kent State

As mentioned before, there was some confusion around Donaldson. The Times Picyune once again clears up his situation as numerous teams were after him. The Saints won out when they signed him to a three year deal.

Saints Announce UDFA Class

The Saints have announced their UDFA signings, and this list is a little different than what was reported around the Web last week. Missing from the Saints list is WR Chris Vaughn (Louisville), OT Augustus Parrish (Kent State) and RB Herb Donaldson (Western Illinois).

Even the Times Picayune's Web site was reporting the signings, so I wonder what happened with these players. Donaldson and Parrish were two that fans got excited about since Parrish was rated as a top 20 OT in the draft and Donaldson was the "bowling-ball" type RB that fans were hoping for.

The UDFA and draft class will be in town for a rookie mini-camp May 7-10.

Post Draft Notes

It's been a busy week for the Saints following the NFL Draft:

• The Saints and the state of Louisiana have reached a long-term agreement to keep the team in New Orleans through 2025. This is great news for fans and the Saints can be removed from the on-going speculation of which teams could wind up in Los Angeles.
• The Saints have parted ways with two veteran defensive tackles: Brian Young and Hollis Thomas. These moves don't come as a surprise as Young has battled injuries for years and Thomas has battled weight issues since arriving in New Orleans. The moves free up cap space and open up spots for some newcomers to the roster.
• The Saints have been busy signing UDFAs since the draft ended. Here's a look at who different outlets have reported the team has signed:

CB Danny Gorrer (Texas A&M)
OG Cedric Dockery (Texas)
WR Chris Vaughn (Louisville)
OT Augustus Parrish (Kent State)
LB Jonathan Casillas (Wisconsin)
WR Matt Simon (Northern Illinois)
C Alex Fletcher (Stanford)
RB PJ Hill (Wisconsin)
RB Herb Donaldson (Western Illinois)
QB Patrick Cowen (UCLA)
WR Ken Harris (Georgia)
CB Reggie Jones (Portland State)

Saints Address Defense in Draft

The New Orleans Saints outlined their offseason outlook with musts, needs and wants. They stuck with musts and needs and focused on the defense in the draft. Here's a look at the Saints picks:

Rd. 1, Pick 14: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
Rd. 4, Pick 116: Chip Vaughn, S, Wake Forest
Rd. 4, Pick 118: Stanley Arnoux, LB, Wake Forest
Rd. 5, Pick 164: Thomas Morstead, P, SMU

The Saints did the right thing in the first round in taking Jenkins. He was the top DB in the draft and fills a glaring need for the team. He'll start out at corner but could be tried at safety as well. With Beanie Wells sitting on the board, many draft analysts thought the Saints might go for the RB. They got Jenkins instead, but tried to trade back into the round to get Wells, so they obviously thought highly of Wells. I'm glad they didn't end up trading back because it would have cost next year's first rounder, in what many believe to be a better draft.

In the fourth round many Saints fans thought the team would go with Liberty RB Rashad Jennings, but instead the team stayed on the defensive side and took a pair for Wake Forest. Jennings ended up going in the 7th round, so there were some question marks about him. Vaughn was a good pick and he'll compete at the safety spot as a rookie. Arnoux will provide good depth after playing both middle and weakside linebacker in college. Some felt he was a bit of a reach in the 4th round, but without many picks, the Saints had to take the guy they wanted then.

In the 5th round, the Saints surprised many fans by trading up. They gave up their 7th rounder and 5th next year to take a punter. What?!?! I originally hated this pick because I felt Glenn Pakulak did a good job last year, but the coaches wanted more consistency from the punter. Fans don't get to see practices and aren't privy to gameplans so we have no idea if a punt is kicked in the wrong area or when there's a mistake on special teams like out-kicking coverage. If Morstead brings a bigger leg and more consistency to the position, then I'm fine with the choice. Morestead is supposed have good hang-time and abilty to directionally kick, but he does get kicks block and isn't quick to get the ball off his foot.

All-in-all it was a solid, small draft for the Saints. Mickey Loomis said they'll sign about 10 UDFA, so those names will start coming out in the next day or so. Here's a look at some of the early signings that have been released:

CB Danny Gorrer (Texas A&M)
OG Cedric Dockery (Texas)
WR Chris Vaughn (Louisville)
OT Augustus Parrish (Kent State)
LB Jonathan Casillas (Wisconsin)

Here's a look at some of the grades the Saints draft has received:

• USA Today: C-
• CBS Sports - C
  
• ESPN Fan Nation - B+
• Walter Football - A-
• Orlando Sentinel - F
• Mel Kiper Jr. - C
• ProFootball Weekly - Outstanding
  

A look at Final Mock Drafts

It's less than 24 hours until the start of the NFL Draft. Draft pundits are releasing their final mock drafts and soaking in all the rumors flying around about what's going to take place tomorrow in New York.

There are trade rumors swirling around teams like the Redskins, Giants, Patriots and Jaguars. Who's looking to move up and who's looking to move back? Names like Mark Sanchez and Tyson Jackson are flying up draft boards. This is what makes the NFL Draft such an exciting event in sports.

Here's a look at what different mock drafts have the Saints doing this weekend:

• Times Picayune: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
• Mel Kiper: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
• Peter King: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
• Don Banks: Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
• Pat Kirwin: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
• Charles Davis: Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
• Draft Countdown: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
• Walter Football: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
  
• Who Dat Dish: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
• New NFL Draft: Knowshon Mareno, RB, Georgia
• Draft 32: Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
• Football Draft Analysis: Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
• NE Patriots Draft: Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
• Great Blue North: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
• Rookie Draft: Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
• Football Expert: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
• Sporting News: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State

And here are a few projections for the rest of the Saints draft:
Pick 116:

• Great Blue North: Jonathan Casillas, LB, Wisconsin
• Walter Football: Zack Follet, LB, California
• Football Expert: Derek Pegues, S, Miss State
• Sporting News: Jairus Byrd, CB, Oregon
  

Pick 118:

• Great Blue North: James Davis, RB, Clemson
• Walter Football: A.Q. Shipley, C, Penn State
• Football Expert: Jason Phillips, LB, TCU
• Sporting News: Javarris Williams, RB, Tennessee State
  

Pick 222:

• Great Blue North: Ed Williams, C, Maryland
• Walter Football: John Parker Wilson, QB, Alabama
• Football Expert: Cullen Harper, QB, Clemson
• Sporting News: Jonathan Casillas, LB, Wisconsin

A look at the NFL Draft

The free agency period has come to a stand-still as teams start to focus solely on the NFL Draft. The Saints roster is pretty much set for training camp besides their draft picks and rookie free agents.

Here's a look at a few mock drafts for the Saints:

• Times Picayune: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio St.
• SI.com: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio St.
• ProFootballTalk: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
• Draft Man: Brian Cushing, LB, USC
• NFL Rough Draft: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio St.
• Football's Future: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
• Draft Bulletin: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio St.
• New Sport Draft: Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
• The Draft Kid: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio St.
• FF Toolbox: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio St.
• Football Draft Analysis: Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio St.
• NFL Draft Guys: Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC
  
• Draft Ace: Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio St.
• NFL Draft Specialist: James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio St.
• NFL Draft Source: Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
• NE Patriots Draft: Donald Brown, RB, UConn
• Sports Agent Blog: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
• East Coast Sports: Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
• Pewter Plank: Brian Cushing, LB, USC

The majority of mock drafts have Ohio State CB Malcolm Jenkins as the Saints selection. If Jenkins is on the board at pick #14, I too think he'll be the choice. Jenkins can play corner or safety and the Saints can use help in either area. With the news coming out this week that safety Darren Sharper only signed a one-year deal with New Orleans, the Saints are still in need of a young, play-making safety. Jenkins would fit that need.

Here's a look at a 5-round mock draft from Walter Football and who they project the Saints to select in the later rounds (the Saints have four selections in the NFL Draft -- 1st, two 4ths and 7th round picks):

• Round 1 (14): Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio St.
• Round 4 (116): Zack Follet, OLB, Cal
• Round 4 (118): Clinton McDonald, DT, Memphis