Once again the Saints have dug up another draft pick from a baby college.  David Jones is very athletic as he stands 6’0″, 196 pounds and he runs a 4.42 40.  Jones is soft against the run but he’s a playmaker in the passing game.  Jones played in 40 games (28 starts) at Wingate and he made 100 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, forced a fumble, broke up 28 passes and had 15 interceptions that he returned for 335 yards and 3 TDs.  Jones also returned 34 kickoffs for 676 yards (19.9 avg) for Wingate.  Look for Jones to play in the Saints’ nickel and dime packages as a rookie.  He also will likely play on a lot of special teams. 

Jermon Bushrod played his college ball at tiny Towson State but that doesn’t matter to the Saints.  Scouts compare Bushrod to Jahri Evans who started all 16 games for the Saints last season.  Bushrod is a monster in the running game as he’s very good at trapping and pulling on the sweep.  He will need some work in his pass blocking but the Saints coaching staff is confident that they can coach him up.  Bushrod is an athletic freak for a player his size.  He is 6’4″, 315 pounds and he runs a 4.92 40.  Look for him to be a back up as a rookie but a starter down the road for the Saints.  He could impress in Training Camp and follow in Evans’ footsteps to start as a rookie.

The Saints were not looking for a running back in this draft, but they couldn’t pass up Antonio Pittman when he slid to the 4th round.  Antonio Pittman is only 5’10″, 195 pounds but he plays much bigger.  He runs with good pad level and he always seems to be going forward.  He’s a good inside runner and he has the speed (4.45 40) to go the distance on any run.  At Ohio State, Pittman played in 36 games (25 starts) and he carried the football 557 times for 2,945 yards (5.3 ypc) with 22 TD runs.  He also caught 37 passes for 314 yards (8.5 avg).  I can’t say enough times what an outstanding pick this was for the Saints.  With Deuce McAllister’s knee bothering him a bit, Pittman could get some playing time this season.  In fact, he eventually will probably replace McAllister at some point if the Saints feel he gets too expensive in the future.

The Saints must have drafted Alleman because he has a nice upside.  He has only played guard for two seasons at Akron as he was a defensive tackle his first two seasons with Pitt.  He has good size at 6’3″, 295 pounds and he’s fast for a big man as he runs a 4.9 40.  But, he’s not too good in space as he sometimes misses moving targets and he needs to get stronger in his run blocking.  At Akron and Pitt, Alleman played in 49 games and started 24 (all of them at guard for Akron).  This pick seems like a big reach for the Saints as Alleman has a lot to learn about how to play guard.

The Saints knew they needed defensive help but they reached a little bit in taking Usama Young who was expected to be selected in the 5th or 6th round according to most draft experts.  He is a four year starter at Kent State and he has a pretty good skill set, but he’s more likely to be a safety in the Pros.  He also is a great special teams player so he should help the Saints even if he isn’t starting.  In 45 games (40 starts) at Kent State, Young has made 198 tackles, broke up 21 passes, had 9 interceptions (71 return yards), forced 3 fumbles and recovered 2 fumbles.  Young was a reach but he will help the Saints next season.

The Saints were thought of to be thinking defense in the draft, but they shifted gears and added some more firepower for Drew Brees and the offense.  With Joe Horn leaving as a free agent the Saints needed another starting WR, so they selected the receiver with the highest upside in this draft.  The thought of Meachem and Colston lining up at WR must already be giving opposing defensive co-ordinators nightmares.  Meachem is big (6’2″, 214) and he’s fast (4.35 40) so he should fit right in on the Saints offense.  Meachem played in 37 games (15 starts) at Tennessee and he caught 125 passes for 2,140 yards (17.1 avg) with 17 TD grabs.  The Saints offense will be even more explosive in 2007 than it was in 2006, with this outstanding draft pick.

1. (27)  Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee

3. (66)  Usama Young, CB, Kent State

3. (88)  Andy Alleman, OG, Akron

4. (107)  Antonio Pittman, RB, Ohio State

4. (125)  Jermon Bushrod, OT, Towson State

5. (145)  David Jones, CB, Wingate

7. (220)  Marvin Mitchell, LB, Tennessee

 

I have conducted a complete 7 round draft for every team in the NFL.  If you want to see what I have projected for any other team in the NFL, click on the team name in the right hand margin and go to the team’s Draft Report page if you don’t see the article on the front page of the site.  This was a lot of work so I hope you enjoy it.

The Saints will focus almost exclusively on the defense in the Draft in a couple of weeks.  I like they will get a good haul and here’s who I think they will add to their roster:

1. (27)  Paul Poslusny, LB, Penn State

2. (58)  David Irons, CB, Auburn

3. (88)  Jon Abbate, MLB, Wake Forest

4. (123)  Kareem Brown, DT, Miami (Florida)

4. (125)  Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State

4. (126)  Chase Pittman, DE, LSU

5. (163)  Rory Johnson, OLB, Mississippi

7. (220)  Jeremy Clark, DT, Alabama

Mission accomplished if they get these players in a couple of weeks.  The bonus was getting the Heisman Winner of last year to groom behind Drew Brees for a while.

Anytime you draft four starting players in a draft you have to feel great about your preparation and execution on draft day.  Not only were these guys starters, but they were all impact players for the Saints.  Here’s a breakdown:

Reggie Bush fell into the Saints laps after the Texans passed on him and he played great for the Saints.  Bush played in all 16 games (8 starts) and he carried the football 155 times for 565 yards (3.6 ypc) with 6 TD runs.  He also caught 88 passes for 742 yards (8.4 avg) with 2 TD catches.  He also returned 28 punts for 216 yards (7.7 avg) including one that he returned for a TD to beat the Bucs.  Reggie Bush is just scratching the surface of what he’s going to be in the near future.

FS Roman Harper was a fine pick in the 2nd round for the Saints.  He only played in 5 games before injuring himself and missing the remainder of the season.  He still made an impact in those 5 games with 26 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and he defended 3 passes.  He’s going to be a starter for the Saints for a long, long time.

In the 4th round the Saints selected big OT Jahri Evans.  Evans started all 16 games and played very well.  He could be a future Pro Bowler for the Saints.   He also recovered 2 fumbles for the Saints last season.

In the 5th round the Saints selected DE Rob Ninkovich.  Ninkovich only played in 3 games and made 4 tackles and defensed 1 pass.

The 6th round was a waste for the Saints as neither Mike Haas (WR) or Josh Lay (CB) made the team.

The Saints made up for a bad 6th round with an outstanding 7th round.  The first pick they had in the 7th round wound up being OT Zach Strief.  Strief played in 9 games and started one.  He will be a reserve again next season for the Saints, but he could be a starter someday.

The biggest gem of the draft for the Saints is Marques Colston.  What an amazing 7th round pick for the Saints.  He played in 14 games (12 starts) and he caught 70 passes for 1,038 yards (14.8 avg) with 8 TD grabs.  The sky is the limit for Colston.  He’s big, fast and could be a dominant WR for a long time in the NFL.

The Saints drafting of Reggie Bush was a pivotal move in re-building the offense.  Bush is an all-around performer that has made a huge impact on the Saints special-teams and offense.  Bush has played in all 12 games this season and carried the ball 119 carries for 368 yards (3.1 ypc) and 4 TDs.  He has really excelled at catching the football.  Bush has caught 73 passes for 562 yards (7.7 avg) and a TD.  Reggie also has done a good job returning punts.   Bush has returned 22 punts for 198 yards (9.0 avg) and a TD.

This is just the beginning for a dominant NFL player of the near future.