The Saints may have picked the perfect year to stockpile a bunch of picks in the first few rounds. The reason for that being that there simply aren’t a lot of ‘stars’ in this draft and the few that there are will be taken early. It is entirely possible that some desperate teams will want to move up to get players which will either give the Saints chances to stockpile, or it will move players they really want/need down and make them accessible. In either case the defining characteristic of this draft is not its stars, but its depth. This draft is easily three rounds deep at many positions with players who are more than likely NFL ready, and goes deeper than that with players who have top end potential, but are in need of fine tuning before they are ready to take the field. With 5 picks in the first 3 rounds the Saints should be able to nab 3 starters/rotational players, and it would come as no surprise to me if they managed to at least get 5 guys who make the team and contribute in some capacity from those picks. That is a great draft in any year (5 players actually seeing the field), but would be a borderline miracle considering the last 3 drafts have netted only 3 players who will see the field and only 1 who has looked as advertised.
Fact of the matter is that the Saints need bodies, and in particular, they need bodies who can play. This team laced with veterans needs a group of skilled young athletes who can come in and fill a role. If someone evolves into a true difference maker and exceeds expectations that is awesome, and always welcome. However, what the Saints need most right now isn’t stars…its competence.
Brett Hundley: 6’3″ 226 LBS. QB, UCLA.
Hundley is a mirror image of Kaepernick. That is to say he is an equal and opposite talent. He specialized in an offense that used quick short passes to pick defenses apart and get the ball to its playmakers without making him process information. Hundley like Kaepernick can run, but he lacks the true dynamism that defined Kaepernick and the Pistol offense in Nevada. He is a mirror image to me because he looks the part and has all the measurables, but is also a technically flawed player who it is unlikely will ever truly develop into a polished passer. Hundley has the build, the mind, the talent, but he also has major flaws. I don’t think he is on the Saints radar, however IF he were ever able to become comfortable with reads and progressions and could perfect his footwork (if was capitalized for a reason on this one folks) he could become a very good quarterback. I don’t believe this is the year Payton goes for Drew’s successor, I think that will be next year in a much stronger QB class. But I also believe that Payton could very well think he is just the guy to unlock the potential within Hundley’s body, and that he is the guy who can make him a star. I will reiterate that I don’t believe he is on the Saints Draft Board. But, on the off chance he is, I would say the only reason would be that Payton thinks that him and Drew together could help this kid reach what is a very high ceiling (the problem is that his floor is in the basement).
Brett Doesn’t get a highlight reel, because I don’t think he is a legitimate prospect. Only one that needed to be looked at in my opinion.
Devin Smith: 6’0″ 196 LBS. WR, Ohio St.
Goodbye Kenny Stills, hello Devin Smith! Seriously look at his measurables against Kenny’s (http://www.nfl.com/draft/2011/profiles/kenny-stills?id=2540202) and tell me he isn’t the perfect replacement for Stills. Smith ran a 4.42 40 at the combine, and more importantly he is both fast and effective ON THE FIELD. This isn’t just some guy who looks incredible in spray on clothing but who can’t catch or play football to save his life (those guys get drafted by the Raiders). Smith can flat out play. When you watch the highlight reel of him the first thing you will see is a spectacular one-handed grab. Smith doesn’t have the greatest hands in the world, however he does have a knack for making incredible game breaking plays at just the right moment. I am actually of the opinion that Smith is an instant upgrade over Stills within the Saints offense. Stills is probably going to be a star in Miami, however Smith would be the most dangerous ‘big play’ receiver the Saints have had since Devery Henderson. He is excellent at ‘just go deep’ type plays, but also can catch a short pass and break a big play at any time. Putting him and Cooks on the field in a two tight end set with Spiller in the backfield (or Mark) is the kind of ‘formation of death’ that Payton loves. There are literally about two dozen different ways that scenario can work out for the Saints and using that kind of personnel in a quick huddle could be almost unstoppable.
To be clear I don’t think Smith is a top end talent at receiver in this draft. He doesn’t have the talent of Cooper, White, or Parker, however, for the role he would fill in the Saints offense he could be ideal. Smith is a straight up deep threat who is almost a carbon copy of a player we just traded (minus a dress or two). He could be a very good pick up for the Saints at 31, and almost a no-brainer at 44 depending on what we already have.
Denzel Perryman: 5’11” 236 LBS. ILB, Miami.
I have mentioned before that Barry Hirstius over at BigEasyBeliever.com is a HUGE fan of this guy. Watch him play and you can clearly see why. Perryman might be a bit undersized, however he more than makes up for that with a chip on his shoulder the size of Kansas. Perryman isn’t the kind of athlete you would build in a lab, however is a straight up football player who leaves his victims with their ancestors voices in their heads. Perryman is the textbook definition of a ‘thumper’. A leader on the field and off and the kind of guy who plays with an intensity that is contagious, Perryman is a player who could be transformative for the Saints defense…at least against the run.
The area where Perryman really seems to struggle is coverage. He simply isn’t the kind of smooth strider who can cover tight ends when necessary. I don’t know if he will be as bad at man coverage as Lofton was (it’s a major accomplishment), but needless to say it is not an area where he is at his best. Ideally if the Saints were to get Perryman they either keep Vaccaro in the box in order to cover tight ends (a real strength of his anyway), or they will need to also acquire a linebacker who is a better athlete than Perryman especially in regards to coverage. I can’t say for sure if he is my guy, but for those of us (there were many) who were less than pleased with the embarrassing lack of any kind of attitude or ‘toughness’ from the Saints defense last year, Perryman will fix THAT issue real quick. When he hits someone, that isn’t a tackle that is getting broken…they are.
Eric Kendricks: 6’0″ 232 LBS. ILB, UCLA.
Kendricks is probably the consensus top linebacker in this draft and I highly doubt he makes it to 31. But, if he were to somehow drop that far he is the guy you take there. Kendricks is an excellent leader, hard worker, great tackler, can cover, can blitz (not great at that though), and plays with both instincts and control. I don’t see a true ‘star’ in this draft at this position this year, but if there is one guy who might become a true star I believe it will be him. Kendricks plays hard and is excellent at stopping runners in their tracks while also missing a minimal amount of tackles. That alone would make him a massive improvement at linebacker for the Saints over last year. Kendricks isn’t a player I have to go overboard and sell you on because I am just about convinced that if he is there at 31 Payton is going to skip up to the phone and make the call. Again, it’s not that he is necessarily a star, but Kendricks is probably the only total package linebacker in this draft (maybe with the exception of Anthony) who could have an incredible impact on the Saints defense right away.
Flat out he is a 3 down linebacker who plays the position at a very high level at all times with incredible tenacity. Kendricks leadership is just as great as his ability to make plays on the field and he is preciscly what we were missing last year. Kendricks simply isn’t the kind of player teams attack; he is the kind of guy a guy like Ryan will use to attack them. He makes plays, is all over the field, and his film paints a very clear picture…the kid can flat out play.
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