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Indianapolis -- When New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton announced his intentions on switching his defense's scheme from a 4-3 alignment to a 3-4 he did so with the full understanding that change among his personnel would have to occur as well. After watching some of college football's top seniors go through drills last month at the Senior Bowl, Payton and his staff will get another up-close viewing of the top prospects vying for a chance to impress a team during this week's NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium where more than 330 prospects will be on hand.
While the Saints have many glaring needs on their defense after yielding an NFL record 7,042 yards last season, many observers believe the Saints' most pressing need entering April's draft is at outside linebacker/defensive end.
For years the Saints have struggled to find an elite pass rusher. Since Payton became the coach in 2006, the Saints have never had a player rank in the NFL's top 10 in sacks. Also during that span, only defensive end Will Smith has managed to record a double-digit sack total, doing so twice in 2006 (10 1/2 sacks) and 2009 (13).
By Nakia Hogan / Times-Picayune
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