Saints still made some good choices with late picks

Winning the team’s first Super Bowl championship last season, the New Orleans Saints were given late picks in all rounds of this year’s NFL draft and really have few choices when it was their turn to pick. However, they still managed to make some good choices that are expected to improve some positions with the team.




First let’s have a look at Saints newly drafted players from all rounds. The team used the 32nd pick of the first round to draft Florida State cornerback Patrick Robinson, interestingly the same choice with the one they made in the first round of last season’s draft and with the first pick of the Vikings, who also made their first choice with a cornerback. Then the Saints selected a tackle from USC, Charles Brown and tight end Jimmy Graham from Miami-Florida. The last few choices in the final rounds included defensive tackle AI Woods from LSU, center Matt Tennant from Boston College and the last one was quarterback Sean Canfield from Oregon State.

Then we can have an analysis on what help these newly drafted players could offer to this season’s defending champion team. First of all, the addition of another cornerback is highly expected to bolster the team’s defense, which was a relatively weak point with the Super Bowl XLIV winner.

The selection of tackle Brown was not taken as necessary but it simply is not a choice. Tight end Graham could be a perfect backup for another former Hurricanes tight end, Jeremy Shockey, who is now wearing No. 88 Saints jersey. Woods has proven his talent in football and is expected to develop into a great defensive tackle if he sticks with the position and learns well.

There is no doubt that the Saints had a lucky pick with center Tennant, who was previously rated as one of the best two centers with Maurkice Pouncey from Florida. With Tennant’s arrival, the Saints could finally find the right answer to problems with this position.

Then it turns to the last pick quarterback Canfield, who is definitely not the worst quarterback in the draft. While it is for sure that Drew Brees will keep his starting job with the Saints, there is good chance for Canfield to be given the backup job in his first or second season.