re: ESPN:Saints offer an instructive alternative approach.

Pretty much every high round bust (Anthony, Kikaha, Baptiste, and Tennant) has resulted because we stayed put and used our actual pick for that round that year.

Of course that doesn't always hold, but we never drafted a high round bust when trading up, and have RARELY drafted a later round bust when doing so (way more often hitting on those).

Most of our late round flops have been picks we let come to us.

And the constant mention of the RARE exceptions of Colston and Strief from 2006 during Payton's first year when he was overturning the roster and we needed depth, is missing the point. Those players in the 7th are the super rare exception.

You wanna take 200 shots just to get 1 of those, or use those late picks to get guys we want who work out way more often?