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The New Orleans Saints didn't immediately schedule a victory parade through downtown New Orleans to celebrate their performance in this year's NFL draft.

As General Manager Mickey Loomis and Coach Sean Payton both reminded, it will probably take three or four years before the Saints' selections of California defensive end Cameron Jordan, Alabama tailback Mark Ingram, Illinois linebacker Martez Wilson and others can be evaluated.

Clearly, though, the enthusiasm was high at the Saints' facility after a draft that was universally praised by national analysts and the fan base alike.

Payton described the "contagious" excitement in the draft room Thursday night, when the Saints pulled off the trade for Ingram, giving them two first-round picks in a span of about 30 minutes.

"I think part of our jobs, I guess, is to worry," Payton said when asked if he had less nagging regrets about this draft than any other he can remember. "But I do think that we were able to address some spots (of need), and some players fell to us that we didn't anticipate.

"We're excited about what we got. That's pretty common dialogue every year at this time of year with every scouting department. So I'm somewhat reserved. But I'm proud of the job our guys did, Mickey and (college scouting director) Rick Reiprish and his group."

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New Orleans Saints draft selections a cause for excitement | NOLA.com