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Let's grade the 2013 NFL Draft
Posted on 9/30/16 at 12:27 pm
Posted on 9/30/16 at 12:27 pm
They say a draft shouldn't be truly graded until 3-4 years have passed. Let's see how the Saints truly did.
Round 1: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
At the time, the board lost its mind when we passed over Georgia OLB Jarvis Jones, and then when it was a safety, LSU's Eric Reid. Jarvis Jones has been a huge dissapointment for Pittsburgh, and Reid, while dealing with injuries much like Vaccaro, can't even stand for an anthem (possible knee issues I assume). Vaccaro has gotten better and better each year, and while he doesn't create turnovers, he is one of the lone bright spots of the defense and should be receiving an extension.
Grade: B
Round 2: Pick Forfeited due to "Bounty" Scandal
It's an absolute shame we did not have a 2nd round pick in this draft, as I am certain we would have selected one of the following standout players who were chosen with the picks directly after ours:
Kevin Minter
Kiko Alonso
Le'Veon Bell
Johnathan Hankins
Jamie Collins
Round 3: Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas–Pine Bluff
A small-school prospect that would be a top 10 pick should this draft be re-drafted today. A franchise LT taken in the 3rd round? Yes, please.
Grade: A+
Round 3: John Jenkins, DT, Georgia
Saints trades up to get the mammoth DT from Georgia, and media and fans were happy with this pick. Going on to season 4, Jenkins flashed early and has done very little since to be considered a good draft pick. Kudos to him being on the team, but the Saints have thrown money and more picks into the DT position and part is due to him never developing.
Grade: C-
Round 4: No pick due to trade with Miami
Round 5: Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma
Immensely talented receiver who just couldn't mesh with the New Orleans locker room and ended up being traded a few seasons later. One dimensional home-run hitter type whose attitude wasn't worth the potential reward.
Grade: C for value; F for Failure with the Saints
Round 6: Rufus Johnson, DE, Tarleton State
Rufus is just a great name for a football player, but sadly this Rufus didn't pan out. He made the practice squad and was then released the next year. He is currently out of football. BONUS TRIVIA: Tarleton State is in Stephenville, Texas.
Grade: F
Round 7: No pick due to trade with Seattle
UDFA: Tim Lelito, Josh Hill, & Khiry Robinson
The Verdict: The Saints entered the 2013 draft with 5 draft picks. They hit on 2 out of 5, but those hits are a starting SS and LT in 2016, which is a great haul for any franchise. Jenkins still being a member of the team is a plus though he's done little to show he was worth a 3rd round pick. Missing on two of their picks, and also not having picks in rounds 2, 4, and 6 really hurt them in acquiring young talent.
Overall Grade: B-
Round 1: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
At the time, the board lost its mind when we passed over Georgia OLB Jarvis Jones, and then when it was a safety, LSU's Eric Reid. Jarvis Jones has been a huge dissapointment for Pittsburgh, and Reid, while dealing with injuries much like Vaccaro, can't even stand for an anthem (possible knee issues I assume). Vaccaro has gotten better and better each year, and while he doesn't create turnovers, he is one of the lone bright spots of the defense and should be receiving an extension.
Grade: B
Round 2: Pick Forfeited due to "Bounty" Scandal
It's an absolute shame we did not have a 2nd round pick in this draft, as I am certain we would have selected one of the following standout players who were chosen with the picks directly after ours:
Kevin Minter
Kiko Alonso
Le'Veon Bell
Johnathan Hankins
Jamie Collins
Round 3: Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas–Pine Bluff
A small-school prospect that would be a top 10 pick should this draft be re-drafted today. A franchise LT taken in the 3rd round? Yes, please.
Grade: A+
Round 3: John Jenkins, DT, Georgia
Saints trades up to get the mammoth DT from Georgia, and media and fans were happy with this pick. Going on to season 4, Jenkins flashed early and has done very little since to be considered a good draft pick. Kudos to him being on the team, but the Saints have thrown money and more picks into the DT position and part is due to him never developing.
Grade: C-
Round 4: No pick due to trade with Miami
Round 5: Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma
Immensely talented receiver who just couldn't mesh with the New Orleans locker room and ended up being traded a few seasons later. One dimensional home-run hitter type whose attitude wasn't worth the potential reward.
Grade: C for value; F for Failure with the Saints
Round 6: Rufus Johnson, DE, Tarleton State
Rufus is just a great name for a football player, but sadly this Rufus didn't pan out. He made the practice squad and was then released the next year. He is currently out of football. BONUS TRIVIA: Tarleton State is in Stephenville, Texas.
Grade: F
Round 7: No pick due to trade with Seattle
UDFA: Tim Lelito, Josh Hill, & Khiry Robinson
The Verdict: The Saints entered the 2013 draft with 5 draft picks. They hit on 2 out of 5, but those hits are a starting SS and LT in 2016, which is a great haul for any franchise. Jenkins still being a member of the team is a plus though he's done little to show he was worth a 3rd round pick. Missing on two of their picks, and also not having picks in rounds 2, 4, and 6 really hurt them in acquiring young talent.
Overall Grade: B-
This post was edited on 9/30/16 at 3:22 pm
12
Posted on 9/30/16 at 12:29 pm to LSUZombie
Probably would have been Jamie Collins. Iirc we were high on him that year.
Posted on 9/30/16 at 12:33 pm to LSUZombie
quote:
Round 5: Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma
Immensely talented receiver who just couldn't mesh with the New Orleans locker room and ended up being traded a few seasons later. One dimensional home-run hitter type whose attitude wasn't worth the potential reward.
Grade: C for value; F for Failure with the Saints
I don't think this is fair. We got a 3rd rounder for him and Ellerbe. While Ellerbe isn't healthy, he's still a good player.
Posted on 9/30/16 at 12:41 pm to LSUZombie
Can't wait until we grade the 2014 draft next year. 
Posted on 9/30/16 at 12:41 pm to LSUZombie
You're giving an F for a sixth rounder that didn't pan out?
Posted on 9/30/16 at 12:45 pm to LSUZombie
quote:
A small-school prospect that would be a top 10 pick should this draft be re-drafted today. A franchise LT taken in the 3rd round? Yes, please.
shite, He'd probably be number 1.
Top 10:
Terron Armstead
Tyrann Mathieu
DeAndre Hopkins
Ezekial Ansah
Sheldon Richardson
Kyle Long
Le'veon Bell
Lane Johnson
Travis Frederick
Patterson/Collins/Allen
Posted on 9/30/16 at 12:47 pm to LSUZombie
quote:
Round 5: Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma
Immensely talented receiver who just couldn't mesh with the New Orleans locker room and ended up being traded a few seasons later. One dimensional home-run hitter type whose attitude wasn't worth the potential reward.
Grade: C for value; F for Failure with the Saints
Round 6: Rufus Johnson, DE, Tarleton State
Rufus is just a great name for a football player, but sadly this Rufus didn't pan out. He made the practice squad and was then released the next year. He is currently out of football. BONUS TRIVIA: Tarleton State is in Stephenville, Texas.
Grade: F
If you are just grading the picks solely on the merit of those picks, hitting on round 1 and 2 should be heavier weighted than missing on picks 5 and 6. I can understand a lower grade due to not having a full allotment of picks, but that is a different discussion.
However, I would not call Stills a "C grade" pick because he was productive for us and we were able to flip him for a pick 2 rounds higher than when he was originally drafted and got a talented/starter at LBer, but often injured. That is an A+ pick for finding talent in the 5th round and for the return on the investment.
Rufus was a 6th round miss. I am ok with that.
This post was edited on 9/30/16 at 12:49 pm
Posted on 9/30/16 at 1:05 pm to saintsfan92612
quote:
Top 10:
Terron Armstead
Tyrann Mathieu
DeAndre Hopkins
Ezekial Ansah
Sheldon Richardson
Kyle Long
Le'veon Bell
Lane Johnson
Travis Frederick
Patterson/Collins/Allen
Don't forget
Kawann Short
Desmond Trufant
This post was edited on 9/30/16 at 1:06 pm
Posted on 9/30/16 at 1:08 pm to LSUZombie
I don't know why people are still running with the idea that Stills was a cancer
Posted on 9/30/16 at 1:18 pm to Hoodoo Man
quote:
You're giving an F for a sixth rounder that didn't pan out?
Yes. He was off the team after a year and it was a wasted pick, though obviously expectations are low for a 6th Rounder.
That said, an F in the 6th Round isn't the same as an F in the 1st Round.
Posted on 9/30/16 at 1:20 pm to TigerBait1127
quote:
I don't think this is fair.
I think it's pretty fair. He wasn't anything special with the Saints, though he flashed ability at times. He was then traded while we still needed receivers on the team, showing the Saints were over him and whatever drama he brought to the team.
An "F" isn't an indictment of Stills as a player, but a grade for the franchise. I also didn't consider trades in the grading, though a 3rd and Ellerbe for Stills was a steal
Posted on 9/30/16 at 1:23 pm to LSUZombie
quote:
He was then traded while we still needed receivers on the team, showing the Saints were over him and whatever drama he brought to the team.
We were making a commitment to defense at the time. He was replaceable and we had already drafted Cooks. Turned out to be a great move
quote:
He wasn't anything special with the Saints, though he flashed ability at times.
He was a deep threat specialist and a good one at that.
quote:
An "F" isn't an indictment of Stills as a player, but a grade for the franchise. I also didn't consider trades in the grading, though a 3rd and Ellerbe for Stills was a steal
Well than that is silly. The whole point is the return you get from the pick.
Posted on 9/30/16 at 1:57 pm to TigerBait1127
quote:
He was replaceable and we had already drafted Cooks. Turned out to be a great move
Drafting Cooks turned out to be a great move (and the lone great move in that awful draft). Agreed there, but we did not have a good receiving corps in 2015. If anything, we got lucky with Snead panning out like he did. Our other receivers were Joe Morgan, Marques Colston, and Brandon Coleman.
quote:
He was a deep threat specialist and a good one at that.
You say this, and then say he was replaceable. So why would a team give up on a young, deep-threat receiver that shows flashes of big potential? He had almost 1,000 yards in 2014 and many here were pumped to see him in 2015.
quote:
The whole point is the return you get from the pick.
The Saints didn't draft Stills with the thought they would trade him away in two years. So therefore, he was a miss by the franchise who felt forced to give up on a young, talented receiver due to undisclosed issues.
And the return: Ellerbe and a 3rd Rounder (PJ Williams)
This would be (and should be) an absolute A+++ if either of these guys could ever be healthy. This is Ellerbe's last year in New Orleans. The dude is just so unlucky with injuries. PJ Williams suffered that super unlucky injury and was on his way to being a legit #2 corner for us.
Jury is still out if PJ can ever really contribute for the Saints. So far he has missed 30 out of 32 games in two seasons.
Posted on 9/30/16 at 2:02 pm to LSUZombie
quote:
You say this, and then say he was replaceable. So why would a team give up on a young, deep-threat receiver that shows flashes of big potential? He had almost 1,000 yards in 2014 and many here were pumped to see him in 2015.
Because we were trying to commit to defense and got a defensive starter out of him + a 3rd round pick.
You keep ignoring the return
quote:
The Saints didn't draft Stills with the thought they would trade him away in two years. So therefore, he was a miss by the franchise who felt forced to give up on a young, talented receiver due to undisclosed issues.
Because shite happened between the time we drafted him and the time we traded him...we went into rebuild mode and started investing into defense.
we didn't sign Jimmy Graham with the intention of trading him either, but it became apparent after 2015 that this team had to get better on the oline and defense. We weren't the contenders we thought we were.
quote:
This is Ellerbe's last year in New Orleans.
Nope, he's got 1 more. And you can't control injuries like PJs. Stills could have blown his knee out on the first play of training camp.
Bottom line: giving that a C or an F is ridiculous
This post was edited on 9/30/16 at 2:04 pm
Posted on 9/30/16 at 2:12 pm to TigerBait1127
Stills didn't pan out for us. The players we received in a trade for him haven't exactly panned out either due to injuries.
I'll split the difference with you and consider the grade a D. An A or B for the drafting of Stills seems very far fetched to me.
I'll split the difference with you and consider the grade a D. An A or B for the drafting of Stills seems very far fetched to me.
Posted on 9/30/16 at 2:50 pm to LSUZombie
We got a 3rd round pick and Ellerbeast out of a 5th round draft pick.
The Stills pick deserves an A.
The worst pick of the draft was trading up for John Jenkins.
The Stills pick deserves an A.
The worst pick of the draft was trading up for John Jenkins.
Posted on 9/30/16 at 3:24 pm to Tingle
quote:
We got a 3rd round pick and Ellerbeast out of a 5th round draft pick.
Ellerbe never plays and his hurt all the time. Our 3rd round pick has played 2 games in 2 seasons. It's hard to get excited about any of that
Posted on 9/30/16 at 8:51 pm to LSUZombie
quote:
John Jenkins, DT, Georgia
Dude was one of the biggest players I've ever seen at the Senior Bowl. I'm not sure what he weighed in at but he seemed quick for somebody that big.
he was supposed to be more of a run stopper but doggone, the run defense hasn't been good at all in his time here. I mean I'm not blaming him solely for the Saints run D troubles but I think more was expected from him. Another player that really hasn't developed much I guess. At least with Akiem Hicks he would occasionally flash brute strength and make a play but I don't ever recall Jenkins having a moment like that.
haven't really had good interior line play in awhile and Jenkins has a hand in that. I guess Bunkley and Hicks would do alright at times and Tyrunn Walker would too but not surprisingly none of them are with the team anymore. But hey, Jenkins is still here.. Yeah!!!!!!
god I can't wait until Rankins gets in there finally. And hopefully Davison comes back and does something too, the D can't help but get better when they come back. Our depth is almost in the same boat as last year thanks to injuries on the interior.
This post was edited on 9/30/16 at 8:56 pm
Posted on 9/30/16 at 10:16 pm to LSUZombie
Any good from recent drafts is wiped out by multiple F- in the free agency market and Enron level failure at salary cap management.
Posted on 10/1/16 at 7:14 am to LSUZombie
Then you can grade the 2015 draft as bad. But the actual draft pick for stills was an a.
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