Let us all welcome the newest member of the New Orleans Saints’ family, as the Saints have selected Cam Jordan. At 6’4″, 283lbs, Jordan has excellent size for a 4-3 defensive end. He was ranked the best, or the second best defensive end by almost all experts. The fact that he dropped 24th comes as a massive surprise. Jordan finished with 5.5 sacks in 2010, and he’s regarded as a complete defensive end that’s equally good against the run and rushing the passer, very intelligent, and noted for his character. Sounds like a Sean Payton guy. The word is he does not posess, however, top end explosiveness.
Here’s his write up on NFL.com:
Overview “Jordan is one of the higher-probability, game-ready prospects in this class. He’s an ideal fit as a 3-4 defensive end but could also serve as a strongside DE in a four-man front. Really a good fit for any team that stresses gap integrity. Has good strength at the point of attack, plays with sound positioning, locates the ball carrier, gets off blocks and uses his good quickness and agility against the run. Not a big-time pass rushing talent by any means, but still has some good power moves. Jordan has the skill set to come off the board pretty quickly.”
Strengths “Jordan is a great combination of size, strength and speed for a 3-4 defensive end prospect. At his best against the run. Keeps blockers off his body, has the diagnosing skills to find the football and can get off blocks and make plays. Shows impressive stamina for a big d-end staying on the field for third down and playing all four quarters.”
Weaknesses “Probably will never be an impact pass rusher, hasn’t put up big sack totals, but still works hard in that area. Despite good bulk, may be considered a bit light in the pants for what some teams are looking for in their three-man front. Has one documented off-the-field issue to our knowledge.”
My take? He sounds a little bit like a younger version of Alex Brown. While that scares me a little, I still think he bolsters our end depth immensely, which was desperately needed. Don’t forget Will Smith is scheduled to be suspended for 4 games this year. Cam is NFL ready and he can start immediately. Will he ever have a double digit sack season? Maybe not. But he’ll be an extremely solid starter that will never be a liability for the team. I’d like to see the Saints moving him to the interior on pass rushing downs to improve pass rushing up the middle.
Overall I think it’s a very solid pick. The Saints camp apparently had him rated as a top 4 player on their board.
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