2019 NFL Draft: See grades for all New Orleans Saints picks from national writers, experts

SmashMouth · 04-28-2019, 09:07 AM

The New Orleans Saints had a successful weekend in Nashville, Tennessee for the 2019 NFL Draft, according to national football writers and experts.

Though the Saints only took five players away from the field of 254, all five picks were highly rated by the national media -- usually falling in the A-B grade range.

You can check out the grades for each Saints pick in the gallery below. More assessments will be added as they are posted.

No. 48: Erik McCoy, OL, Texas A&M

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: B+ | This was a smart pick because they had to replace Max Unger. Drew Brees has to be protected inside since he is a short quarterback, so it works.

Chad Reurter, NFL.com: B | McCoy was a first-round value that they picked in the middle of Round 2, and Drew Brees needed a sturdy and smart pivot. (NFL.com assigned day grades rather individual grades for each pick. The Saints received an B for Day 2.)

Andy Benoit, Sports Illustrated: A | Scouts believe McCoy can assume a starting job right away. He is a crafty technician who has the movement skills to execute man blocks and zone blocks.

Chris Sprow, ESPN: 87 | McCoy's strength? How about the fact that he had a blown pass block on a microscopic 0.4 percent of attempts last season. Some potential spackle in a leaky situation up front.

Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: B+ | McCoy’s a find-a-way scrapper who Sean Payton and the Saints coaches will love. He has the traits to be a starter and tone-setter in the middle of the line.

WalterFootball.com: A+ | This is one of the best picks of the draft thus far. There was a team in the teens that was considering Erik McCoy, so to have him drop all the way to No. 48 is a major steal.

Steven Ruiz, For The Win: B+ | The Saints didn’t have a first-round pick but still ended up with a first-round talent. McCoy is a big center with good movement skills. He’ll be a key figure in the Saints’ screen game, which we know Sean Payton loves. He’ll occupy the void left by Max Unger’s retirement.

Nicklaus Gray, Nashville Tennessean: A | The Saints were stunned by the retirement of Max Unger, and McCoy remedies that. He could start for a decade in New Orleans as a superb anchor pass blocker.

Nate Davis, USA Today: D+ | New Orleans adds a physical pivot, the next interior guy charged with forming a halo around diminutive Drew Brees and keeping his pass lanes clear. (USA Today did not rank each individual draft pick, but gave the Saints an overall draft grade of a D+)

Pro Football Focus: Below Average | Slotted as PFF’s No. 80 overall player, McCoy is a bit of a reach at pick No. 48, but what he brings to the table is still valuable. His tape suggests a player though who’s one of the most complete interior linemen in this class. (Pro Football Focus assigned an overall grade to each team rather than grading each individual pick.)

No. 105: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida

Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: A- | The Saints add to a talented young secondary with Gardner-Johnson, a safety/corner hybrid who's as comfortable manning the slot as he is ranging from center field. Some tackling concerns, but awesome value.

Chad Reurter, NFL.com: A | Gardner-Johnson is a versatile safety who presented nice value in the early fourth round, so they traded up to get him. (NFL.com assigned day grades rather individual grades for each pick. The Saints received an A for Day 3)

ESPN: 83 | Gardner-Johnson is an instinctive free safety with shorter-than-ideal arms and very good speed. He's a smooth mover with the range to play center field. He does a good job of coming to balance and wrapping up. He was a very good special-teams player early in his college career and is capable of contributing in that area in the NFL.

Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: A | It’s a matchup-based league, and every defense needs a player like Gardner-Johnson who can handle a variety of assignments based on the offensive personnel. This is a safe, smart selection that fills a need. It’s also a fine value at the start of the fourth round.

WalterFootball.com: A+; Gardner-Johnson is small, but he's a terrific play-maker. I heard that he fell because he didn't handle himself well during top-30 visits, but the Saints are getting an exceptional defensive back.

Nicklaus Gray, Nashville Tennessean: B+

Nate Davis, USA Today: D+ | USA Today did not rank each individual draft pick, but gave the Saints an overall draft grade of a D+.

Pro Football Focus: Below Average | Former Florida safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson shouldn’t have been available at pick No. 105, but New Orleans did the right thing and kept him from sliding any further. Gardner-Johnson is perfect for the slot/safety hybrid role in today’s NFL. He led all secondary players with 22 coverage stops this past season. He earned a second-round grade from PFF prior to the draft. (Pro Football Focus assigned an overall grade to each team rather than grading each individual pick.)

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04-28-2019, 09:07 AM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,477 Blog Entries: 29	2019 NFL Draft: See grades for all New Orleans Saints picks from national writers, experts The New Orleans Saints had a successful weekend in Nashville, Tennessee for the 2019 NFL Draft, according to national football writers and experts. Though the Saints only took five players away from the field of 254, all five picks were highly rated by the national media -- usually falling in the A-B grade range. You can check out the grades for each Saints pick in the gallery below. More assessments will be added as they are posted. No. 48: Erik McCoy, OL, Texas A&M Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: B+ \| This was a smart pick because they had to replace Max Unger. Drew Brees has to be protected inside since he is a short quarterback, so it works. Chad Reurter, NFL.com: B \| McCoy was a first-round value that they picked in the middle of Round 2, and Drew Brees needed a sturdy and smart pivot. (NFL.com assigned day grades rather individual grades for each pick. The Saints received an B for Day 2.) Andy Benoit, Sports Illustrated: A \| Scouts believe McCoy can assume a starting job right away. He is a crafty technician who has the movement skills to execute man blocks and zone blocks. Chris Sprow, ESPN: 87 \| McCoy's strength? How about the fact that he had a blown pass block on a microscopic 0.4 percent of attempts last season. Some potential spackle in a leaky situation up front. Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: B+ \| McCoy’s a find-a-way scrapper who Sean Payton and the Saints coaches will love. He has the traits to be a starter and tone-setter in the middle of the line. WalterFootball.com: A+ \| This is one of the best picks of the draft thus far. There was a team in the teens that was considering Erik McCoy, so to have him drop all the way to No. 48 is a major steal. Steven Ruiz, For The Win: B+ \| The Saints didn’t have a first-round pick but still ended up with a first-round talent. McCoy is a big center with good movement skills. He’ll be a key figure in the Saints’ screen game, which we know Sean Payton loves. He’ll occupy the void left by Max Unger’s retirement. Nicklaus Gray, Nashville Tennessean: A \| The Saints were stunned by the retirement of Max Unger, and McCoy remedies that. He could start for a decade in New Orleans as a superb anchor pass blocker. Nate Davis, USA Today: D+ \| New Orleans adds a physical pivot, the next interior guy charged with forming a halo around diminutive Drew Brees and keeping his pass lanes clear. (USA Today did not rank each individual draft pick, but gave the Saints an overall draft grade of a D+) Pro Football Focus: Below Average \| Slotted as PFF’s No. 80 overall player, McCoy is a bit of a reach at pick No. 48, but what he brings to the table is still valuable. His tape suggests a player though who’s one of the most complete interior linemen in this class. (Pro Football Focus assigned an overall grade to each team rather than grading each individual pick.) No. 105: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: A- \| The Saints add to a talented young secondary with Gardner-Johnson, a safety/corner hybrid who's as comfortable manning the slot as he is ranging from center field. Some tackling concerns, but awesome value. Chad Reurter, NFL.com: A \| Gardner-Johnson is a versatile safety who presented nice value in the early fourth round, so they traded up to get him. (NFL.com assigned day grades rather individual grades for each pick. The Saints received an A for Day 3) ESPN: 83 \| Gardner-Johnson is an instinctive free safety with shorter-than-ideal arms and very good speed. He's a smooth mover with the range to play center field. He does a good job of coming to balance and wrapping up. He was a very good special-teams player early in his college career and is capable of contributing in that area in the NFL. Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: A \| It’s a matchup-based league, and every defense needs a player like Gardner-Johnson who can handle a variety of assignments based on the offensive personnel. This is a safe, smart selection that fills a need. It’s also a fine value at the start of the fourth round. WalterFootball.com: A+; Gardner-Johnson is small, but he's a terrific play-maker. I heard that he fell because he didn't handle himself well during top-30 visits, but the Saints are getting an exceptional defensive back. Nicklaus Gray, Nashville Tennessean: B+ Nate Davis, USA Today: D+ \| USA Today did not rank each individual draft pick, but gave the Saints an overall draft grade of a D+. Pro Football Focus: Below Average \| Former Florida safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson shouldn’t have been available at pick No. 105, but New Orleans did the right thing and kept him from sliding any further. Gardner-Johnson is perfect for the slot/safety hybrid role in today’s NFL. He led all secondary players with 22 coverage stops this past season. He earned a second-round grade from PFF prior to the draft. (Pro Football Focus assigned an overall grade to each team rather than grading each individual pick.) more here jeanpierre likes this.