- after gutting the pass game i am still shocked that saints did not add 1 WR in the draft. Shocked. teams will now jam the line till we can prove that our 3rd 4th and 5th WR are anything to worry about. Our track history over the past few years depth wise has not been that good. I just think it made the emphasis on the running game that much difficult. My wild card is Morgan. I am hoping they dumped him to heal and planned to have him back all along in 2016

This is what happens when you know what you want and have a plan. The Saints traded for center Max Unger and drafted tackle Andrus Peat in the first round. They're going to have one of the biggest, most talented lines in the NFL in 2015, all the better to protect an aging Drew Brees—and his possible successor, Grayson.

The first of the non-blue-chip quarterbacks off the board, Grayson will have at least a year to develop under Payton and Brees. If he can assume the throne when Brees steps down (or perhaps poison the King of New Orleans' wine), Grayson will be incredible value here.

The rest of the draft was dedicated to getting defensive coordinator Rob Ryan talented, hard-nosed football players, and for good reason. The soft Saints defense couldn't do anything right last season; the reinforcements to the run defense, pass rush and pass coverage were desperately needed.

Kikaha is a tremendous pass-rusher. He didn't post tremendous test numbers but tremendous production.



Grade: A-

Defense wins championships, and the best way to build a championship defense is through the draft.

The New Orleans front office seemed to take this strategy to heart in this year's draft, stockpiling six defensive players during the three-day event.

Of the Saints' defensive picks, one common trait shared by all of them, no matter the position, is that of a fiery, intense style of play. Stephone Anthony, Hau'oli Kikaha, P.J. Wiliams, Davis Tull, Tyeler Davison and Damian Swann are all players who give maximum effort on every snap, and they're all relentless competitors.

Along the way, the Saints also selected what appears to be the team's left tackle of the future, and they brought in a young quarterback who could one day take the reins to the offense.

Although New Orleans' 2015 draft was difficult to predict and sometimes surprising, nearly every move made sense.

Grade: A-

2015 Draft Pick Criteria...

Physical
Tough
Non-stop motor
Leader on and off field
Character
High football IQ
Productive

Our Depth at WR has never been good, yet Brees still throws for close to 5k every season. Most casual Saints fans can't name more than 2 WR from the 09 team. Jones and Coleman will surprise a few folks this year.

All the picks fit that criteria but Williams, I'm fine with that

Howdy fellas... I really, really like what the Saints did in this draft. Unlike the past few years where I walked away with several "why the hell did we draft that guy?" comments, I feel like we really improved our roster this weekend.

I really like the Andrus Peat pick, and I think I'll like it even more when we find out what's going to happen between Armstead and Strief and Peat. The guy has a great frame, huge arms, and is probably the best pass pro prospect in the draft.

My favorite pick in the draft, and I totally understand why it's considered a reach, is Stephone Anthony. He might have been there in the second round when we picked, but I love that the Saints got him. He's a high energy, high character, explosive player (4.56 and great broad jump) at linebacker, a position that badly needs an upgrade. He's the unquestioned leader of the best defense in college... I feel like he's going to be a guy that is going to push our defense to get better.

The Kikaha pick surprised me a bit because of his injury history and his poor showing at the combine, but the guy can play football. He's got a high motor and a good first step. He'll push Gallette to get better.

The Grayson pick wasn't a surprise since we've so many rumors about how much Payton liked the guy. If he can develop into a good QB at the pro level then the value is tremendous. I really enjoyed watching him at the Gruden QB Camp. My biggest concern is his collarbone... he's broken it three times, the last one by lifting a couch???

My second favorite pick of the draft is PJ Williams. The guy has the talent to be an early second rounder, borderline first. There are clearly character concerns here, and hopefully the organization will hold him accountable. But on the field, the guy is a really good player. Unlike our last FSU cornerback, Williams is stout in run defense. He's also very instinctual in pass coverage and has good ball skills. What I like most about him is that he shows up in the biggest games... he was a superstar in the NCG in 2013. I see him as an immediate contributor.

The Tull and Davison picks continue with the theme of high motor, overachievers who should help our front 7. I like both picks and am curious to see if both can play right away, especially Tull whose measurables at the combine are pretty impressive.

Swann seems to me like he may be best at the Safety position... I'm not quite sure why we felt the need to trade up and get him, but after the way we drafted the first five rounds, I've got to trust the decision-makers on this one.

I really like the Murphy pick in the seventh round. I watched a lot of Missouri football this past season and the kid is special with the ball in his hands. I think he will be good for us in the return game and hopefully can contribute on third downs.

Overall, I really like what the Saints did in this draft. I think our defense is much better than it was before the draft, and depending on how things shake out on the OL, we've addressed our biggest weakness on the offensive side of the ball as well. I'm honestly not too concerned with our WR/TE depth... I think Brees can throw most people open.