2013 NFL Draft – Analyzing the NFC South & New Orleans Saints
Frank Martin is back to give us his insight into the NFC South's winners and losers in the 2013 NFL Draft. In this post he takes an "unbiased" look at his hometown team the New Orleans Saints…yea, right. (Just kiddin' Frank).
NFC South Breakdown
If you are like me, then this past weekend was your favorite weekend of the spring…
Three days of non-stop discussion about 40 times and short shuttles…
7 rounds of analysts saying: "this is a guy…", and "he's got major up-side."
It's heaven on Earth. But eventually it comes to an end and like the day after you're senior prom… you must take stock in what went down.
That's what we will do here.
But let's have fun with it and play a little… red light, green light.
New Orleans Saints – ***1/2
Headline: Saints play it Safe(ty)
Info: The Saints needed help on defense and a guy to blow the top off the coverage on offense. Needless to say, the team was pleased with how the draft went.
Green Light: Kenny Vaccaro – The Saints defense gave up the most yards ever in the history of the league… Most ever… So they needed help on defense. You'd be hard pressed to find people who didn't like the selection of Vaccaro. The Saints haven't had a viable presence in the defensive backfield since Darren Sharper retired. The only question is how big of an impact can a rookie safety make?
Red Light: Rufus Johnson – It's not so much the kid Rufus Johnson I am down on, it's just that the Saints drafted five guys and only one is an "outside rusher." That was supposed to be a pressing need, only the team didn't treat it as so. New Orleans believes Junior Galette and Martez Wilson can bring the heat off the edge. Well… in bypassing a player like Jarvis Jones at #15, those guys better get the job done.
Caution: Terron Armstead –The Saints have a history of turning small school and "high potential" guys into Pro Bowl studs. But that was when Aaron Kromer was in charge of the offensive line. Kromer is in Chicago now. Hmmm.
Overall: Something to be said for "getting" what you need to get in the draft and the Saints did just that. Vacarro and Jenkins should make an immediate impact. Armstead (Ark.-Pine Bluff) might just be the next Willie Roaf.
Roaf just happened to have been born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Next Frank finishes up the division with an depth look at the Tampa Bay Bucs 2013 NFL Draft.
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