With their two picks in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Saints have drafted Defensive End Greg Romeus and Linebacker Nathan Bussey. The Saints were without 4th, 5th or 6th round picks in this year’s draft thanks to various trades. I like that both of these picks have focused on continuing to add depth and players to the front seven of the defense.

Pick by pick analysis.

Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh – Was not very productive in college due to some injuries. He has ideal size to play defensive end in a 4-3 scheme like the one used by the Saints although he could stand to add a few pounds. I think at best the Saints will likely have a solid backup or developmental prospect in Romeus. He could also become a decent special teams contributor.

Nathan Bussey, OLB, Illinois – He was a safety / outside linebacker in college. Looking over his profile on the Illinois web-site, it seems like his biggest contributions have come on special teams which will likely be true for the Saints as well. He has the size to play outside linebacker at the pro-level an the speed to perhaps make a difference in some packages.

For two seventh round picks, the Saints did fairly well finding some players who could develop into good backups and, if nothing else, should make an impact on special teams.

I’ll be posting a full summary and analysis on the Saints’ entire draft tomorrow.

The Saints were without a second round selection on this night of the draft thanks to their trade with the New England Patriots for the 28th pick used to select running back Mark Ingram. The Saints did have two picks in the third round, their own pick and the pick from the Washington Redskins thanks to the Jamaal Brown trade. They used this picks tonight to upgrade a position of need and to add some much needed depth to the secondary by drafting Illinois Linebacker Martez Wilson and Louisville Cornerback Johnny Patrick.

Pick by pick analysis.

Martez Wilson, LB, Illinois – Wilson played inside linebacker mostly in college but will likely move to the outside in the Saints defense with Jonathon Vilma holding down the middle linebacker spot. The good thing about Wilson is that he is versatile which fits in well with Greg Williams’ defense as he likes to use multiple fronts, formations and personnel. Wilson is a natural pass-rusher off the edge who, along with first round pick Cameron Jordan, gives the Saints an immediate upgrade in their pass-rush, a must in a division with Matt Ryan, Josh Freeman and now Cam Newton. Wilson could possibly compete for a starting job, depending on what he Saints do in free agency and will likely make an immediate impact in the nickel and dime situations and on special teams.

Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville – Adds some youth and depth to the secondary and could make veteran Randall Gay expendable. Many draft experts had Patrick falling somewhere in the 2nd to early-3rd rounds so the Saints get some good value with this pick. Patrick has the size to play corner effectively in the NFL but his less than top end speed makes him more suited for nickel and dime situations. With Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter and Patrick Robinson already on the roster, it is likely that the Saints don’t expect Patrick to have to make an immediate impact. As injuries have shown though, it is hard to have too many defensive backs. Patrick could also make an impact on special teams. Mike Mayock referred to him as the perfect “gunner” for punt situations.

Two good picks here and the Saints do seem to be focusing more on need in this draft than in previous drafts. The Saints only have two picks remaining, both seventh rounders. Might not sound important but as I have reminded readers before, Marques Colston was a seventh round pick.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more analysis on the Saints final picks.

Last night’s draft gave Saints’ fans high hope. With the 24th pick, the Saints select Cameron Jordan, defensive end from the University of California. Jordan brings much need athleticism to the Saints’ defensive line, and will hopefully prove to bolster the Saints’ pass rush. Last season the Saints generated 33 sacks, only 18th in the NFL. With strong quarterbacks Matt Ryan of the Falcons and Josh Freeman of the Buccaneers, the Saints will need a strong pass rush to compete for the division title. Though “Matty Ice” has shown great poise in the pocket, a strong pass rush will be able to force Josh Freeman to make mistakes. The Saints will also need a strong pass rush to contain the Panthers’ versatile Cam Newton. Additionally, a stronger pass rush should help the Saints’ secondary improve on its league-low nine interceptions last season.

Perhaps the shocker of the night was the Saints’ last minute trade with the New England Patriots to move into the 28th spot in the first round, which the Saints used to select Alabama running back Mark Ingram, Jr. The 2009 Heisman Trophy winner was an excellent selection, and should immediately bolster the Saints’ rushing attack, which had slipped to 28th in the NFL, averaging only 94.9 yards per game. Last season’s running back-by-committee approach failed to take the pressure off the passing game. It is likely Ingram’s arrival spells the end of Reggie Bush’s career with the Saints. What Ingram lacks in Bush’s game-breaking speed he makes up for with his ability to pound the ball between the tackle and be an every-down workhorse running back.

The Saints only have four draft picks left; two each in the third and seventh rounds. The Saints need to use its third round picks to upgrade its defense, with an emphasis on a run-stuffing linebacker and help in an aging and under-producing secondary.

Looking over some comments made to the media by Saints head coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and first round draft selection Cameron Jordan. Apparently the Saints had their eyes on Cameron Jordan for a while but didn’t expect him to be available to them at the number 24 pick. It seems like Ingram was going to be the pick at number 24 until Jordan fell that far. Jordan’s comments also suggest that he didn’t expect to fall that far either. I’ll say again that the Saints got some great value here with Jordan, a top-10 talent with the number 24 pick. Reading what Payton and Loomis had to say, it also seems like they didn’t expect Ingram to be available at 24, let alone four picks later at 28. Apparently seeing him still available at 28 is what prompted the call to the Patriots. Neither Payton nor Loomis seem particularly concerned with giving up next year’s first round pick and both appear to believe that Ingram is worth it.

Payton and Loomis also both appear to have hopes that Reggie Bush will be back for another season with the Saints despite drafting Ingram. Reggie Bush appeared to assume, based on a post on his twitter account, that his time in New Orleans was done with the Saints drafting Ingram. I don’t think this will be the case but I also think it will be entirely in Reggie Bush’s hands if he is willing to restructure his contract. Bush and Ingram have different skill sets which make them both valuable to the offense. Ingram has the ability to be a pounding running back where Bush has value in certain formations, trick and gimmick plays, as a return man and as a slot receiver. I hope they are able to keep Bush around because the more offensive weapons the Saints give Drew Brees, the better the offense is. Update: The Saints have even posted on their official web-site that drafting Ingram gives the Saints two Heisman Trophy winning running backs in their backfield. All indications are they want to keep Bush around.

I made a comment earlier that the Saints sometimes will take the best player available rather than focusing on need. Perhaps this year the uncertainty with the labor situation or the desire to get back to the top of the NFC South and win another Super Bowl pushed the Saints to fill some positions of need and fill both in a big way. On a night where two other teams in their division made some big splashes, the Saints made the biggest splash and also may have made the most progress towards improving their teams.

To recap, the Saints used their first round pick, the 24th overall on California defensive end Cameron Jordan. The Saints then traded their 2nd round pick and 2012 1st round pick to the New England Patriots for Alabama running back Mark Ingram. I mentioned in an article earlier this year that two of the positions the Saints needed to improve on were defensive end and running back. I also mentioned front seven defense and the running game as reasons the Saints weren’t able to make it back to the super bowl. The Saints took care of both of these needs in the first round tonight and may have put themselves on a road back to the super bowl.

Analysis on each pick.

Cameron Jordan, DE, California – I was born in New Orleans and my family and I have been Saints fans for my whole life, even indoctrinating my wife and kids. During our draft party at the Saints Scoop HQ (a. k. a. my living room), we were a little disappointed this pick wasn’t used on Mark Ingram when he was still on the board. Then I started doing a little research on Jordan. Jordan is a 6′4″, 287 lbs. player who ran a 4.78 4o-yard dash at the combine. This is a scary combination of size and speed for a defensive player. For the Saints, he gives defensive coordinator Greg Williams a player who can instantly start on the other side of the defensive line opposite Will Smith. While he is not an elite pass-rushing defensive end, he has the ability to play well against both the pass and the run which is something the Saints need on their defensive line. Many experts had Jordan going in the top-10 to top-15 picks and he was a highly rated player on most expert’s draft boards so the Saints get a tremendous value here with the 24th pick. Greg Williams will definitely find a way to use his speed and athleticism in multiple defensive fronts and to get the most production out of this player. Plus, a defensive line consisting of Will Smith, Sedrick Ellis, Shaun Rogers and Cameron Jordan suddenly looks very strong and a little scary for other teams.

Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama – The Saints gave up a lot in a 2nd round pick this year and 1st round pick next year to draft Ingram but Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis are very smart football minds and if they felt this pick was worth it, I don’t doubt it. What I like about Ingram going to the Saints is that, every draft expert says that if there is one running back in this year’s draft that can play every down, it is Ingram. For the Saints, Ingram is not going to have to play every down, he gets to join a backfield rotation with Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory and possibly still Reggie Bush. A lot of experts have compared Ingram to Emmit Smith and with an offensive minded coach like Sean Payton and an incredibly strong passing game lead by Drew Brees, I think you can expect big things from Ingram and he will immediately improve a Saints running game that struggled last season.

I’ll be back with more draft coverage tomorrow night. The Saints are armed with two third round picks and I think there might be a lot of value to be found in that round. The Saints have already filled two of their biggest needs so they might be able to look more at the best players that are available and consider adding more depth at certain positions.

The Saints trade their 2nd round pick and 2012 1st round pick to the New England Patriots for the 28th overall pick and selected Alabama running back Mark Ingram. Costly but well worth it in my opinion. More on the Saints two first round picks shortly. Great night overall for the Saints.

With the 24th overall pick in the 2011 draft, the Saints have selected Cameron Jordan, Defensive End, California. Originally thought to be a top-10 to top-15 pick in the draft, the Saints get some great value here. More on the pick in a little while.

The Saints are on the clock and thanks to a run on quarterbacks in the first round, several players the Saints may have eyes on are still available.  Da’Quan Bowers, Muhammad Wilkerson, Cameron Jordan and Justin Houston could all be possibilities for the defense. Mark Ingram also made it past the Dolphins and Giants so he could be getting a serious look. I also wouldn’t rule out a trade down for New Orleans but the value of quarterbacks still available makes that less of a possibility. With the Saints, it’s hard to rule out any particular player. Best available players right now are:

1. Da’Quan Bowers

2. Mark Ingram

3. Muhammad Wilkerson

4. Justin Houston

5. Cameron Jordan

In the NFC South, the Carolina Panthers surprise no one by taking Cam Newton with the number one overall pick. The Saints defense often victimizes rookie quarterbacks and this might be the case if Carolina hurries and starts Newton before he has a chance to adapt to a pro-style offense. The Atlanta Falcons made an aggressive trade, mortgaging this year’s draft and two picks in next year’s draft to trade up to select wide receiver Julio Jones. The Saints defense might be in for a workout against the Falcons this year. I’ve got to say though that, as a closet Browns, I like the trade, giving them more picks to rebuild their roster with. Tampa Bay select Adrian Clayborn, the first defensive pick in the division and no doubt looking at putting more pressure on Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and now Cam Newton. Clayborn could have been a possibility for the Saints as well.

The NFL Network draft coverage just commented that the Saints have been trying to trade up. Defensive end Cameron Jordan is still on the board and could be the target. We’ll see how the next few picks shape up now with the Colts on the clock at number 22.

The first round of the 2011 NFL Draft begins tonight at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. The New Orleans Saints hold the 24th overall pick in the draft. The Saints have a total of six picks in the draft which are as follows:

1st Round – 24th Pick

2nd Round – 24th Pick

3rd Round – 8th Pick (acquired from Washington in trade for Jamaal Brown)

3rd Round – 24th Pick

7th Round – 24th Pick

7th Round – 42nd Pick, compensatory pick.

The Saints fourth round draft pick is held by Jacksonville which the Saints used to trade up in last year’s draft to select C Matt Tenant. The Saints fifth round pick is held by Washington which was part of the Jamaal Brown trade. The Saints sixth round pick is held by New England as part of a 2009 trade for TE David Thomas.

The Saints have a history of drafting the best player available rather than focusing strictly on need. Last year the Saints selected Patrick Robinson in the first round. They didn’t have a particular need at cornerback but he was the highest rated player on their board. Without many glaring holes on their roster, this year could be another example of drafting the best player available rather than locking in on need at any position. General manager Mickey Loomis has stated the only positions the Saints won’t draft are long snapper, punter and kicker. I would also rule out a quarterback in the early rounds as the Saints have a franchise quarterback in Drew Brees and a solid backup in Chase Daniel.

Conventional wisdom suggests that the Saints will take a front seven defender with their first round pick but I doubt that they are locked into any one position. There may not be a defender available the Saints have rated high enough to take at number 24. They could also look at an offensive lineman or an offensive skill position with this pick. The Saints have been linked to running back Mark Ingram and he would certainly get some consideration if still available at that point. I also wouldn’t rule out a receiver here to give another weapon to Drew Brees and the passing game.

Trading up or down in the first round could also be a possibility. The Saints have been more than willing to trade up in the past when they see a player they like still on the board. Look at the Patriots, who are frequent trading partners with the Saints and have the number 17 pick, if the Saints will try to move up. Teams in need of a quarterback might also be calling the Saints to move back into the bottom part of the first round. If the Saints don’t have a player they like at this pick, trading it to a quarterback needy team would allow them to pick up some picks later in the draft.

I’ll provide analysis on the Saints first round pick as soon as it comes in tonight. I’ll also be online to provide some other draft analysis and comments.