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What's your Saints draft grade?

Posted on 5/11/14 at 4:24 pm
Posted by Bourre
Da Parish
Member since Nov 2012
20300 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 4:24 pm
Solid B. Would have been an A if they could have landed one of the better centers in the draft.
Posted by iliveinabox
in a box
Member since Aug 2011
24115 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 4:32 pm to
C+ without seeing them on the field.. Our team physicians should be ecstatic. 1st 2 picks seem like money though.
Posted by Rand AlThor
Member since Jan 2014
9477 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 4:38 pm to
I'm going with a C+

I loved the Cooks pick. I wanted him BADLY and I would have been cool if we paid even more to make sure we got him.

I am somewhat hesitant about the SJB pick. I'm in the (small) crowd that thinks we are set at corner.. I have faith in PRob and White. We spent a 2nd round pick on a guy who likely won't even play this season.. I would have rather reached for a 3rd round LB that was still on the board or traded down for an extra late pick.

I felt like our biggest need besides WR was a LB who can cover.. There is some potential there with Fortt but nothing conrete for this season. I think if we could have come out of this draft with a solid coverage LB (like Mosley) we would field the #1 D this season. Instead we're either going to get gashed across the middle or we're going to have to pull our talented safeties close to the line and sacrifice the turnovers they COULD be getting playing deep.

All of that being said, I like SJB's potential and if he becomes even a viable #2 at his size we will be very dangerous.

Plus, we didn't get a Center. I feel like the team was waiting to see if we got a value center in the draft before picking up Goodwin.. so I think they'll sign him very soon.

I'm VERY excited about our UDFA's though. We got some good, good potential coming in.. if you count them as part of the "draft" class then I would bump us to a B- or B.
Posted by Patrick_Bateman
Member since Jan 2012
17823 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 4:52 pm to
quote:

Solid B.
Posted by lsufan_26
Member since Feb 2004
12559 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 4:55 pm to
C+ because that's what Kiper said!
Posted by chrisksaint
Florida
Member since Jul 2011
1712 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 4:57 pm to
B. I think there are a lot of boom/bust type of prospects which works given the structure of our team.

Cooks is going to be a great pick and could fill a Randall Cobb type of role. SJB has all the tools to be a Pro Bowl level CB, but he needs coaching. Powell is an interesting pick to me, the raw skills are there that he could be a specialized pass rusher if he can stay healthy.
Posted by Billy Mays
Member since Jan 2009
25289 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 5:17 pm to
Solid B.

I agree with the posters above that SJB has a lot of bust potential. If he is in the rotation next year I will be pleased.p

Cooks is a great pick - he seems like a can't miss for our system. We were a player like him away from being unstoppable last year.

I wish the interior OL would have been addressed, but Cooks was worth the 3rd rounder IMO.

The injured players are risk/reward, and in the mid to late rounds that's what you should shoot for.
Posted by LawLessTyGer
Bay of Ponchartrain
Member since Jan 2009
1256 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 5:20 pm to
C+....I like their draft , would have given them a higher grade but trading up 7 spots and losing a 3 rd round pick doesn't sit we'll with me..
Posted by suavecito80
Member since Apr 2014
2872 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 5:27 pm to
C+ maybe a B.
Posted by Fontainebleau Dr.
Mid-View New Orleans
Member since Dec 2012
2400 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 6:14 pm to
C. Liked the first couple of picks. Used the later round picks on a bunch of guys with histories of knee injuries. The Saints seem to send a top 10 amount of guys to the IR every season as it is.

And Payton said they didn't pick up a center in the draft because they didn't want to reach for one when the draft position didn't warrant it; yet they used their 6th round pick on a tackle that no NFL analyst had any information on. I'm still not 100% convinced that Rooks actually exists as a human being.
Posted by PurpleDrank18
Houston, TX
Member since Oct 2011
4508 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 6:35 pm to
B-
Posted by bonethug0108
Avondale
Member since Mar 2013
12690 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 7:00 pm to
I said this in the other thread that this is based on projection so it's subject to change, and as it should be higher round picks are more weighted as they have higher expectations.

I gave it B+ with a chance to get an A if all of our late round picks work out and the first two do as well as expected, or a C+(I think) if none of the late picks work out but the first 2 still do.

Payton said they would have had to reach in any given round to get a center, so I applaud them for not doing that.

Best case scenario is that Cooks is a beast, JB becomes the nickel this year and at least a solid starter next year but hopefully on the level with Lewis, Fortt takes over for Hawthorne next year, Powell takes over for Haralson next year, Sunseri takes over the 3rd safety role from Bush in 2 years, and Rooks wins a backup tackle job and becomes a starter in 3-4 years when we part with Strief.

Drafts aren't about this year alone. All of these guys have a role and hopefully they eventually fulfill it.

So I'll give you my actually grade in about 3 years, and a better projection of it after preseason.
This post was edited on 5/11/14 at 7:02 pm
Posted by Geauxing for 3
TX Tiger
Member since Mar 2008
1948 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 7:12 pm to
Right now I give it a D, but only time will tell. Cooks and powell were the only picks I liked. I didn't like trading a 3rd to move up, but given how the later picks looked I guess its a good thing they got their guy. Really wanted to pick up a starting c in the third.
Posted by S
RIP Wayde
Member since Jan 2007
155925 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 10:49 pm to
B

Liked what they did first two days

I can see where they are coming from day 3, just sucks they are coming off those injuries but could turn into pretty good value (guys like fortt and powell)
Posted by rubberneck
NOLA
Member since Aug 2011
1040 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 10:57 pm to
V+

Any draft with a Vinnie is solid gold.
Posted by TG
Metairie
Member since Sep 2004
3061 posts
Posted on 5/11/14 at 11:06 pm to
C
Posted by htran90
BC
Member since Dec 2012
30139 posts
Posted on 5/12/14 at 12:19 am to
B on paper
A if at least two starters end up producing at a high level in 3 years.

Cooks - He's filling a play maker need that is both young AND fast. He could be the next DeSean Jackson or Randall Cobb. The disappointment factor is not as high as Tavon Austin imo because of how our offense works.

SJB - People want to say that they wish we didn't go with him here and reach for a 3rd round prospect or Martin instead. CBs aren't a rookie year proven commodity most of the time. Look at our very own Keenan Lewis, he took 3/4 years before he received high reps as a 3rd rounder. This is a potential pick and I'd rather have a guy who can produce at a high level in '15 instead of '14 than reach for a guy that'd be average in '14 and the rest of his career
Posted by Indfanfromcol
LSU
Member since Jan 2011
14737 posts
Posted on 5/12/14 at 9:49 am to
B-

I like Cooks, but I think he will be a slot receiver, and I am not sure that position or Cooks we worth both a 1st AND a 3rd. A 1st alone though, yes.
The Jean-Baptiste pick was just okay, think yall could have traded back and gotten him. But having him learn under Champ greatly improves his stock IMO, and he was the best cb left at that time.

I honestly can't believe the Saints past on Dennard. I think he will be a great CB, and that would be first round talent learning from one of the top 2 cb of all time. But I guess that is why I am not a gm.

I actually liked the Fortt pick, but the Sunseri pick was questionable. Yall are already loaded at safety, and Sunseri was actually almost a liability in big games with Bama.

Trading away yalls 3rd round pick though hurt yalls draft IMO. With that 3rd, yall could have picked up Bryan Stork and gotten a serviceable C.

Just my view and trying to be unbiased.
Posted by The Sad Banana
The gate is narrow.
Member since Jul 2008
89498 posts
Posted on 5/12/14 at 10:41 am to
I think Cooks is an okay pick. He might turn out to be awesome, but I don't know how much I love it yet.

The Stanely Jean-Baptiste pick, though. I'm in love with it. The other guys I have no idea and we usually do find some quality players in the UDFA pool. We'll just see.

Grade: C
Posted by smash williams
San Diego
Member since Apr 2009
19757 posts
Posted on 5/12/14 at 12:37 pm to
I don't see how anyone could give a grade higher than C. Saints Draft should have looked like the 49ers draft.
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