Defense priority for Saints
 

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RIVERS HOPES VERSATILITY HELPS: One of the players Payton was probably eyeing Tuesday morning was USC linebacker Keith Rivers. The Orlando, Fla., product recorded 240 tackles during his career, the last three years at weak outside linebacker. On Tuesday, Rivers predominantly played middle linebacker in the Raiders' 4-3 scheme. On Monday, he started off at strong outside linebacker before moving to the weak side.

NFL Draft Countdown projects Rivers at No. 14 in the first round, ranked just ahead of fellow Senior Bowlers Dan Conner (Penn State) and Ali Highsmith (LSU) among draft-eligible outside linebackers. If Rivers can play on the strong side and/or in the middle, his stock will only go up.

"I'm used to playing the (weak side), but I think I can play it all," Rivers said. "I just need some time to pick it up. I'm sure it helps if I can be versatile and play all three."