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New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis uttered the ultimate draft cliché last week when he said the Saints would take the best athlete available rather than focusing on a specific position in the first round.

In this case, he’s right. Although the Super Bowl champion Saints could use a linebacker to replace Scott Fujita and another defensive end to bolster a depth-shy position, they don’t have a glaring weakness that cries out for immediate attention.

In the Examiner.com Mock Draft, Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews was the best player available at the end of the first round.

Mathews averaged a nation’s best 150.7 yards as a junior at Fresno State, rushing 276 times for 1,808 yards (6.6 average) and 19 touchdowns. If he had played for a higher-profile program, he would have been a Heisman Trophy contender.

Boise State’s defense learned how special Mathews was in September. Two weeks after the Broncos limited Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount to minus-5 yards on eight carries, Matthews blew through them for 234 yards and three touchdowns on 19 attempts.

He did not stop there. Fresno State faced three BCS conference teams last year, and he surpassed 100 yards against all of them, gaining 107 against Wisconsin, 145 against Cincinnati and 173 against Illinois.

With the departure of Mike Bell to the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans has an opening on its depth chart. Bell led the Saints in rushing attempts (172) and yards per game (50.3) during the regular season, so the opportunity will be there despite the presence of Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.

Mathews has a similar style to Bell. He probably won’t break any long touchdown runs in the NFL, but he is physical north-south runner who should be effective immediately in short-yardage situations. That’s not Thomas’ or Bush’s specialty.

Although he needs to improve as a pass catcher, Mathews is a sure-handed runner. He fumbled three times in 535 career carries at Fresno State.

With primary Saints targets TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes and Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon already having been taken, Mathews is a sensible pick.
FOR MORE INFO: Go to BlackandGold.com

2010 Examiner.com NFL Mock Draft: New Orleans Saints take Ryan Mathews

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