WhoDat!656

After analyzing the draft needs of all 32 teams, PFT will review how well each team addressed those needs. Up next: The New Orleans Saints.

What they needed: Outside linebacker, offensive tackle, wide receiver, safety.

Who they got:
Round 1: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas

Round 3: Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Round 3: John Jenkins, DT, Georgia

Round 5: Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma

Round 6: Rufus Johnson, DE, Tarleton State

Where they hit: By drafting Vaccaro, they get to take at least one member of the league’s all-time worst defense off the field. That alone makes it a good thing, but they had multiple needs on that side of the ball. Jenkins was effectively the result of the Chris Ivory trade, so they swapped a reserve running back for a guy who could chew up space in the middle of Rob Ryan’s 3-4 defense for years to come.

Where they missed: Armstead has some potential at a spot they have a need, but in the short-term, he might not be more able to protect Drew Brees’ blind side than Charles Brown is this year. But he wasn’t necessarily drafted for this year. They also failed to bring in any meaningful help for the pass rush, which means free agent pickup Victor Butler better take a big step up, or the Saints are going to struggle to be that much better on that side of the ball.

Impact rookies: With only five picks, it was going to be hard to fill all the needs this offseason. And adding the best safety in the draft is clearly a benefit for the Saints. But this group is shorter on now than it is on later, and that’s a troubling sign. Stills has enough talent that he could end up looking like a steal, considering the personnel he has to work with.

Long-term prospects: With Sean Payton back on the sidelines and Brees under center, there’s a floor on how bad the Saints are going to be. But many of the issues they walked into the draft with still exist. Armstead’s talented enough that me might be a starting left tackle, and if he delivers on that, getting him in the third is a coup. They addressed some needs on defense in free agency, but again, it wasn’t going to be possible to check off all the boxes.


Draft review: New Orleans Saints | ProFootballTalk

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

|Mitch|

I disagree! Galette, Wilson, Thomas?!

homerj07

SSDD. How can their be so MANY different opinions on our draft?

If they are all "Experts" shouldn't they have the same basic outlook within a few standard deviation points?

Seer1

They say blah, blah, blah (when they even bother to mention the Saints at all). All I hear is, we'll have an idea of things come the beginning of November.

NonieT

Why does everyone keep saying the Saints didn't draft a pass rusher. They may not know who he is but Rufus Johnson is a pass rusher! And like someone has already pointed out besides Butler, we have Gallete and Wilson; and what about the UDFAs.

Rugby Saint II

Even our own experts disagree sometimes.

Danno

The problem is the experts evaluate the draft on current needs, not on long term payoff.

They knock the Armstead pick because he won't contribute immediately? Wow, thats pretty shortsighted.

NonieT

And boneheaded!

jeanpierre

Should Armstead start and do well at Left Tackle this season and we just lost Bushrod to Free Agency...

I'd say that will be a huge steal/win for the team...

triman

Evaluating a draft before the players ever hit a pro practice feild is not to be taken for anything other than a guess. All players are drafted on potiential. IMHO we have the potiential of having three starters. If it turns out that we have to wait a year for that to develop I'm ok with that. I think that the possibility is that four of our five picks could contribute significant snaps this year. However lots of things will affect this possibility, injuries, other players breaking out, vet pickups etc...In the end we and all the experts will not know until sometime in the future???