2011 New Orleans Saints Draft Needs
Written by Steve Janus
The New Orleans Saints failed to defend their Super Bowl Championship last season. The Saints gave way to the Falcons in the NFC South, but still managed to make the playoffs as a wild card at 11-5. Their postseason run ended before it even got started with a surprising 41-36 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Despite the disappointing finish the Saints should be back in the playoff hunt with head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees still running the show.
The Saints love what they got out of third round tight end Jimmy Graham last year, but the rest of the class didn’t provide much help. New Orleans used their first round pick on corner Patrick Robinson, but he was limited with injuries all season. Robinson figures to be a solid starter before its all said and done, but for this class to be a hit they need second round tackle Charles Brown to develop into a starter.
The Saints have four picks in the first three rounds of the 2011 draft, including two in the third round, but they have just one pick (7th round) after that. Here is a look at the five positions the Saints need to target this year. Find out who we have the Saints taking in the first round in our 2011 NFL Mock draft.
Defensive End: The Saints had to rely on using their linebackers and secondary to get pressure on the quarterback in 2010. While they have been successful with those blitz package, they need to find a defensive end who can get pressure on the quarterback. Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn could fall to them in the first at No.24.
Outside Linebacker: The Saints decided to not bring back Scott Fujita last season, and it ended up costing them. New Orleans list of potential starters to replace Fujita all got hurt, and the position never really got filled. It would be a smart move for the Saints to add some more depth at this position.
Safety: The Saints finished with a league-worst nine interceptions in 2010. Well below their mark of 26 the season before. A big reason for that was veteran safety Darren Sharper didn’t come away with a single interception after recording nine the previous year. It’s time for the Saints to start looking for the future.
Running Back: The Saints were hit hard with injuries at this position last year. Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas combined for just 419 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. That forced the Saint to rely heavily on undrafted rookie Chris Ivory, who led the team with 716 yards and five scores. New Orleans needs to use one of their third round picks to add some depth at this position. Oklahoma’s DeMarco Murray and Kansas State’s Daniel Thomas are potential picks if they decide to address this need.
Defensive Tackle: The Saints signed veteran defensive tackle Shaun Rogers before the lockout, but he likely will only be around for a year. Rogers will make a solid duo inside with Sedrick Ellis, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Saints to add a player here who can take over once Rogers is gone.
Individual NFL Team Mock Drafts
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