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Bradley Handwerger / WWLTV.com Sports Writer

METAIRIE, La. ― The Saints entered the 2011 NFL Draft looking for help along the defensive front.

By 8:30 p.m. on the second day, New Orleans had addressed its most pressing needs and more.

The Saints went defense Friday, grabbing Illinois linebacker Martez Wilson with pick 72 and 16 picks later, took Louisville cornerback Johnny Patrick.

Wilson (6-foot-4, 252 pounds) is projected as a strongside linebacker while Patrick (5-11, 191) should boost the Saints’ special teams as a natural gunner.

The Saints took defensive end Cameron Jordan in Thursday’s first round before trading up to take running Mark Ingram four picks later.

The main entrée Friday was Wilson, who fills a spot at linebacker where the Saints are looking to get younger.

Wilson, projected by some draft services as a first- or second-rounder, fell to the third partly due to limited collegiate playing time. After playing both his freshman and sophomore seasons, he was given a medical redshirt in 2009 after suffering a herniated disc in his neck.

“A guy like this, you really have a grasp (on where he’d go) because he didn’t have the playing time when you look at his history,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “You see athleticism, size, stature and so there are a lot of traits we like.”

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Saints go defense on Day 2 of NFL Draft | New Orleans News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | wwltv.com | Eye on Black and Gold

AllSaints

Im def liking our picks !