After an embarrassing string of unsuccessful drafts extending from 2007 through 2014, the New Orleans Saints brought in ex-Miami Dolphins’ game manager, Jeff Ireland, to act as their assistant general manager. Unlike Loomis, the general manager, Ireland’s expertise is based on his scouting knowledge and draft strategy. Although the entire Saints’ scouting staff received a massive overhaul in 2015, Ireland’s presence has undoubtedly been felt. Ireland has only been with the team for two offseasons but both the 2015 and 2016 draft classes have shown promise. Before we jump into my overall takeaways, let’s recap the previous 4 drafts that Ireland has participated in (two in Miami and two in New Orelans).
2013 Players Drafted (Miami)
Pick 3 – Dion Jordan – EDGE – Oregon
Pick 54 – Jamar Taylor – CB – Boise State
Pick 77 – Dallas Thomas – T – Tennessee
Pick 93 – Will Davis – CB – Utah State
Pick 104 – Jelani Jenkins – LB – Florida
Pick 106 – Dion Sims – TE – Michigan State
Pick 164 – Mike Gillislee – RB – Florida
Pick 166 – Caleb Sturgis – K – Florida
Pick 250 – Don Jones – SS – Arkansas State
SUMMARY: Ireland has admitted that he didn’t expect Oakland to accept his trade offer for the 3rd overall pick and he and his scouting staff were still undecided on the player they would select when they made the move. I find it pretty irresponsible to propose a trade to move from 12 all the way up to 3 without much of a game-plan or player in mind. However, only giving up a 1st (12) and a 2nd (42) to make that move was a bargain simply based on pick value. Dion Jordan was an extremely gifted prospect but injuries and performance enhancing drugs wrecked his career. This was one of Jeff Ireland’s riskiest picks and it did not pay off. Jamar Taylor never lived up to his physical capabilities in Miami, although he did become one of the league’s more promising corners when he was traded to the Browns. Dallas Thomas was a solid prospect heading into the draft with 4 years of starting experience for North Dakota State. Injuries were a concern and in retrospect, warranted. Although he occasionally flashed potential, Thomas has not developed as well as the Dolphins would have hoped. Next, Ireland traded up and selected Will Davis out of Utah. Davis has since been cut and is currently without a team. Once again, Ireland traded up to select Jelani Jenkins. Jenkins has been a solid contributor starting 33 games over the last 4 seasons. Dion Sims, used mostly as an in-line tight end, has been a consistent presence for the Dolphins starting 22 games over the last 4 seasons. Gillislee, Sturgis and Jones are no longer on the Dolphin’s active roster.
2014 Players Drafted (Miami)
Pick 19 – Ja’Wuan James – T – Tennessee
Pick 63 – Jarvis Landry – WR – LSU
Pick 67 – Billy Turner – G – North Dakota State
Pick 125 – Walt Aikens – SS – Liberty
Pick 155 – Arthur Lynch – TE – Georgia
Pick 171 – Jordie Tripp – LB – Montana
Pick 190 – Matt Hazel – WR – Coastal Carolina
Pick 234 – Terrence Fede – DE – Marist
SUMMARY: Ireland appeared to have learned his lesson about trading up and selecting the flashy, high-upside type of player as he had done the previous year. Instead, Ireland went with a safer selection in an area of need. Ja’Wuan James was not the most athletically gifted prospect but he was a senior with a lot of experience playing against elite talent in the Southeastern Conference. He also attended the Senior Bowl and held his own versus other top prospects. He has not been great since being drafted but he has been good enough to start 39 games. Jarvis Landry was a player that fell because of a horrible combine performance. He has emerged as one of the best young receivers in the league and was a steal in the second round. Billy Turner was a player scouts liked due to his tenacity and run blocking potential. He was picked based on his upside but never lived up to the expectations and is no longer on the Dolphins’ roster. Walt Aikens probably would have been picked higher but off the field concerns hurt his stock. Ireland took a chance drafting him and Aikens has turned into a solid player making most of his impact playing special teams. Lynch, Tripp and Hazel are all players that are no longer on the Dolphins’ roster. Terrence Fede was drafted as a high upside player from a small school and although he remains on the active roster, his contribution to the team has been limited.
2015 Players Drafted (New Orleans)
Pick 13 – Andrus Peat – T – Stanford
Pick 31 – Stephone Anthony – LB – Clemson
Pick 44 – Hau’oli Kikaha – EDGE – Washington
Pick 75 – Garret Grayson – QB – Colorado State
Pick 78 – PJ Williams – CB – Florida State
Pick 148 – Davis Tull – EDGE – Tennessee-Chattanooga
Pick 154 – Tyeler Davison – DT – Fresno State
Pick 167 – Damian Swann – CB – Georgia
Pick 230 – Marcus Murphy – RB – Missouri
SUMMARY: After trading away some key players, the Saints were loaded with draft capital. This also marked the beginning of Jeff Ireland’s tenure with the team. Overall, this draft looked a lot more promising before the 2016 season but injuries have hurt this group’s stock. The team admitted being smitten with Danny Shelton at 13th overall but since he was selected right before the Saints picked, it forced the team to look at other options. Andrus Peat was a bit of a surprise since the team was still getting positive play from starting tackles Zach Strief and Terron Armstead. Both of those players have held onto their roles forcing Peat to learn a new position. Although rocky at times, Peat has developed into a solid guard but his future is likely at one of the tackle spots. Stephone Anthony was a player with a lot of physical. He flashed his playmaking ability his rookie season but was forced to change positions and relegated to backup duties in 2016. Considering the linebackers drafted after him, Anthony is starting to look like a major. Hau’oli Kikaha, PJ Williams and Damien Swann all flashed potential but injuries have their respective careers in serious doubt. Tyeler Davison has quietly become a solid run stuffing defensive tackle for the Saints. He has been reliable and showed continuous growth throughout his career. With Nick Fairley likely headed for free agency, Davison’s role will surely increase. Davis Tull has all the potential in the world but couldn’t stay healthy. He is now a member of the Falcons. Garret Grayson also appears to be a miss as a 3rd round pick. He is currently on the Saints’ practice squad. Marcus Murphy has flashed potential as a returner but fumble issues has him likely on his way out the door this offseason.
2016 Players Drafted (New Orleans)
Pick 12 – Sheldon Rankins – DT – Louisville
Pick 47 – Michael Thomas – WR – Ohio State
Pick 61 – Vonn Bell – FS – Ohio State
Pick 120 – David Onyemata – DT – Manitoba
Pick 237 – Daniel Lasco – RB – California
SUMMARY: This class is a prime example of quality over quantity. Most mock drafts had Sheldon Rankins headed to New Orleans for a majority of the offseason. He was a senior, team captain and had multiple years of starting experience. Although a broken leg hindered his growth, Rankins looks poised to take off in his second season, especially with the likely departure of Nick Fairley. Their second pick, Michael Thomas, was the best rookie receiver in the NFL this past season and arguably the number 1 option for the Saints going forward. His college production was hampered by poor quarterback play which caused Thomas’s stock to fall. Next, the Saints went back to their “trade-up only” ways when they moved into the back end of the second round and selected Vonn Bell. Bell had his issues in coverage but his overall play recognition and run defending were exciting to witness. David Onyemata was a major surprise pick that had fans frantically googling for more information on this unknown prospect. It was later revealed that the Saints’ scouts became smitten with him during the Shrine game and practices. Daniel Lasco was a player with injury risks but a ton of physical ability. The risk appeared to have paid off early before Lasco was placed on injury reserve for concussion issues. He will be back trying to earn a bigger role on offense as well as picking up where he left off as a gunner.
TAKEAWAY #1: Ireland Favors Shrine Game Participants in Later Rounds
Jeff Ireland has witnessed his teams select at least one shrine game participant over the last four drafts. The Shrine Game by nature is not the top-tier talent so the players selected from this game will generally come off the board in the later rounds. Although unsuccessful in finding much Shrine game talent during his time in Miami, Ireland appears to have turned a corner with the Saints. After selecting only 1 shrine participant in 2013 (Caleb Sturgis) and 1 participant in 2014 (Matt Hazel), he drafted a total of 3 participants in 2015 (Damien Swann, Tyeler Davison, and Davis Tull) and 2 participants in 2016 (David Onyemata, and Daniel Lasco). Aside from Davis Tull, the Shrine game participants drafted have shown a lot of promise. It is clear that Jeff Ireland and the Saints value the Shrine game just as much, if not more, than other NFL teams.
TAKEAWAY #2: Maturity, Experience and Leadership are Major Contributing Factors for First Round Selections
After Jeff’s blunder in 2013 when he selected Dion Jordan 3rd overall, one can infer he has taken a different approach to how he grades his 1st round prospects. Since Dion Jordan, his teams have drafted all seniors with multiple years of starting experience. All four of the players selected since 2014 possessed no criminal background or other off the field concerns and no major injury concerns. Aside from Andrus Peat, Ireland’s first round picks since 2014 were all team captains and Senior Bowl participants.
TAKEAWAY #3: Injuries Less Concerning than Off the Field Issues
Injury risks and off the field issues will certainly keep Ireland from selecting a prospect in the 1st round, but what about the following rounds? In general, Ireland has avoided players with major off the field concerns. He will however occasionally take a chance on a player with minor off the field issues if the value is too good to pass up i.e. PJ Williams (DUI) and Walt Aitkens (Theft). Since 2013, Ireland’s teams have selected 6 players with injury concerns: Daniel Lasco, Hau’oli Kikaha, Davis Tull, Dion Jordan, Dallas Thomas, and Jelani Jenkins. All these players have missed time due to injury since entering the league. With that in mind, is it safe to wonder if taking a chance on an injury prone player is really worth the risk? Most of these players have shown potential but their absences have hurt their respective teams.
TAKEAWAY #4: Loomis Influencing Trade Tendencies
Ireland had a fairly balanced approach when came to trading up versus down in 2013 and 2014. In total, he traded down 5 times and up 4 times. Since arriving in New Orleans as the assistant GM, Ireland has overseen the Saints trade down 0 times and up 3 times. Low draft capital year after year as a result of continuously trading up is not a recipe for long term success. There is a lot less room for error when your GM is only working with a handful of draft picks. The Patriots always have a plethora of draft picks and it seems to be working out well for them. The notion that Loomis favors trading up and never down is pure hubris. The draft is so unpredictable and no player is ever a sure thing. Hopefully Ireland can help steer the Saints to a more balanced trade approach.
CONCLUSION: Although all final decisions are officially made by the game manager, Loomis, it is safe to say that Ireland has had a hand in evolving the way the team evaluates and targets draft prospects. So far, it appears to be working but only time will tell. It has been a small sample size and not many conclusions can be definitively made but overall roster talent appears to be on an upward trajectory. With Ireland on board, the Saints are building a young nucleus that can make a successful transition once Brees inevitably retires.
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