Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

With each passing day since he took his first professional practice snaps with the New Orleans Saints during rookie minicamp last month, Kenny Vaccaro has gotten better.

After a rather low-key start in the offseason workouts, Vaccaro, the Saints' rookie first-round draft pick, seems to be making steady improvement and coming on strong in recent workouts.

The Saints' coaching staff has praised Vaccaro's progress in learning the system. And Vaccaro finally got to show off his quick development this week during the Saints' three-day minicamp that was opened to the media and fans.

"Kenny is steadily progressing," Saints secondary coach Wesley McGriff said. "From the learning of the playbook, he has got an exceptional football IQ. He is picking up the speed of the game. The one thing about Kenny is he is very engaging. He's always into it.


"He's not one of those kids where you got to push to get better. He is a self-motivator. You can definitely see the progress and the desire in him to want to be good."

With Malcolm Jenkins and Roman Harper, the incumbent starters at safety, returning, new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan already has unveiled schemes that'll put all three safeties on the field at the same time. And Vaccaro has taken advantage of his opportunities.

Vaccaro turned in perhaps his best practice of his young career Wednesday when he was one of the brightest stars on the Saints' defense.

Getting reps with the first-team defense at safety and as nickel back, the 6-foot, 214-pound Vaccaro, who starred at Texas before being selected by the Saints with the 15th overall pick in April's draft, displayed obvious signs of his unique pass-coverage skills.

Vaccaro made two of the best plays of Wednesday's practice, breaking up a pair of passes by backup quarterback Luke McCown. Vaccaro nearly came away with an acrobatic interception on the first one, diving in front of the ball but failing to control it for the pick.

Then he stole a touchdown from receiver Nick Toon, lunging to knock the ball away in the end zone just as Toon appeared ready to pull it in.

Although Vaccaro didn't make any standout plays Thursday, he regularly had solid coverage against receivers and tight ends.

"I think I've progressed a lot, honestly," Vaccaro said. "There is a great group of defensive backs around me teaching me how to become a pro. I'm picking up the system real fast.

"Today was our last day in minicamp and I just felt like one of the guys. I learned it so quick. I'm just real comfortable out there already."

Read more: New Orleans Saints rookie safety Kenny Vaccaro is proving to be a quick study | NOLA.com

Love to hear this sort of stuff, can't wait to see him put the pads on and hit somebody on game day

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

I'm excited about the guy. But I'm going to evaluate him like I don't have a clue about him.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Not bad for a rookie not even trough his first training camp yet.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Agreed, thats the sign of a guy that has got a high football IQ, which in todays game can prove to be vital

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Even if this kid is not great, pretty good is fine with me.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Yeah you are smoked without a good head on your shoulders in the NFL. The game is becoming so complex for all positions. Same thing in college more and more.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Reminds me of Roman Harper, who was also a starter from day one of his rookie training camp.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Self motivator motivates me. not just some dude happy he's in the nfl and satisfied. he has drive.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Yea... Yea... Yea... but can he catch?

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

And so many people were disappointed with us picking him......

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Considering Malcolm Jenkins is completely lost on the field, I think this is extremely good news!

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

And I still kind of am... I just think that there would've been better options out there for the Saints at #15; ones which would've addressed a position of more need than the safety position - especially if they planned all along to keep (and extent the contract) Harper around.

Nevertheless, I don't doubt that Vaccaro is a good collegiate player who can become a good or even great NFL player, but I just see too much Harper in him to be overtly excited at this point in time.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

i want to see him play an entire season before i judge this pick.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Good news to hear, just make this defense better KV

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

FIFY

And Malcolm too.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

You mean the guy thats the leader in sacks from the safety position between all active players?

I like Harper and to me Vaccarro looks like harper with more speed and better ball skills

Every player struggles from time to time, ive got a feeling people refuse to let the seattle game go

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

I'm guessing he may not be a ball hawk, but with his frame and athleticism hopefully he can be a great blitzer, a big hitter and a solid cover guy. Can he cover top notch tight ends like Vernon Davis and Tony Gonzales is my big question.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

hope he is as good as he seems to be

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Dear god I hope his kid works for us

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

You mean the Seattle game where Harper weren't the only one blowing coverage and the overall scheme was completely horrendous?

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Exactly

People use that game to abuse Harper when every single DB got burned

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

He is going to be a great pic for us ! Already got his jersey on the way ! ! ! KV ! ! ! Who Dat !

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

You misunderstood me. If anything, I've defended Harper around here more times than I can count and I do think he's been a good player for the Saints in the past and he still can be that going forward under RR.

What I was referring to in my post was that Vaccaro isn't going to be the ball hawking safety some seem to portray him out to be - not necessarily over on these boards - but an upgrade over Harper with fairly similar skill-sets. And this is not going to make a lot of fans happy if their displeasure of Harper was really performance based and not character, which I suspect it mostly has been.

And to bring this unnecessarily long reply to an end. What I meant primarily was that since I think Harper has performed better in the past than most people give him credit for - especially under GW who played a system somewhat similar to what RR presumably is going to - I just don't see Vaccaro as a huge upgrade over Harper who is now going to be with the team at least two more years (pending a premature release or a trade). That is why I said I wasn't overtly excited: the 1st round pick could've been used to introduce a bigger upgrade at another position with a more pressing need.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Trust me, it's not just the Seattle game...

Green Bay, Chicago, New York, the Bradford Rundown...

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Brees threw 5 picks vs ATL, lost the game for us
3 picks vs SF - 2 went back for TD's
3 picks vs 49ers in playoffs

I know harper has struggled, but if you want to blame harper then brees isnt exempt from the blame either

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

I see what you mean, just a misunderstanding on my part brother :bng:

I genuinely feel now ( barring a rash of injuries) we have depth at a lot of defensive positions

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

roman harper has the confidence and trust of the coaches.

i trust their judgement more than any of yours. sorry.

try to be loyal to your team through thick and thin. dance with the one who brought your fair weathered asses to the game.

roman harper has a lot of character and skill. i'm glad he is on our team.

damn straight.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

I wasn't among them.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

If I'm wrong, I apologize, but if my memory serves me correctly our defense has only been ranked inside the top 15 one time, since Payton took over in 06. With that said, if we get our OFFENSE back to the balance we had in 09, with clock control, and grinding down opposing offenses in the 4th quarter, then a very large amount of pressure comes off of the defense.... Plus, not to leave out the turnovers differential that year.... Vaccaro, to me, will be the key.... Harper, nor Jenkins, are exactly "interception magnets".....

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Dude, seriously, do you have this saved in notepad to copy/paste on this forum? It's the same drivel from you in every.other.post.

Chill out. It's rediculous.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Learn it fast, my boy! We have another championship to win!

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

See Roman getting burned again - don't do that...

See Malcolm out of position - don't do that...

Okay, cheap shot out of the way, he's the rookie that I hope I am wrong about...

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

Trust and believe.

Re: Saints Rookie Safety Vaccarro Proving to be a quick study
 

That would make you wrong about all 3.:p