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Well, I know you've all been waiting! Every year a few buddies get together and watch the draft in real time and make our picks before the Saints do. The rules are simple: You have to pick when and where the Saints pick (no alternative trades up or down) and you have to pick before the Saints announce their selection. I like to post my results for posterity...
Round 1 (Pick 29)
NCC Selects: O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida
-Two of my friends took Bresee, like the club ended up doing, but I was too wary of his injury history and lack of production at Clemson. Or maybe I still have PTSD from the Saints' Shawn Knight selection when I was a kid. At any rate, my pick would have been Mazi Smith, the huge DT out of Michigan, but the Cowgirls grabbed him at 26, which honestly makes me wonder if I had the wrong guy targeted. I loved the idea of adding this mauler to our Oline as part of my admittedly retro plan for the Saints to become a power running/play action team with Carr.
Round 2 (Pick 40)
NCC Selects: Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
-Everyone in our group had a different selection at 40, but I was surprised to see Sanders on the board and I gave in to the impulse of adding a fast, destructive linebacker to our group, who, honestly, I don't trust to survive the season without substantial time on the IR. Sanders seems like the kind of workout warrior, RAS start the Saints would love, but I get that they probably had pass rushing DE as a higher priority. I think Sanders showed big potential as a Kaden Ellis like rush blitzing linebacker, but I recognize that both of the guys I picked went much later in the real draft than I picked them, so maybe I reached a bit.
Round 3 (Pick 71)
NCC Selects: Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
-This was my hardest pick. I really, really wanted to take a RB here (though my guys were Spears, Achane or Bigsby) or Darnell Washington, the big TE out of Georgia, but having skipped the chance to get a DT earlier, I didn't have the guts to pass on Ika, who is close to being the run-stopping mauler I wanted in Smith in the first round.
Normally we don't pick beyond the Third Round as we understand that we've already far exceed our already limited knowledge on prospects, but a few guys came back on Saturday and the Saints' were active, so we did Round 4, before the beers kicked in too hard. Saints juiced us up by getting the first pick of the fourth round as well and everyone had plenty of time to sift through the remaining prospects before the last day got started.
Round 4 (Pick 103)
NCC Selects: Adetomiwa Adebawore DT, Northwestern
-Did I make this pick in part just to hear Bobby Hebert try and pronounce his name when he's a few beers in? Possible. But he just looked like a guy who had fallen down the board a bit and had great testing numbers. Projected him inside as a 3-technique tackle next to a big space-eater like Ika. Plus, I'd taken O-line in round one already so, I thought shoring up our interior defensive line made sense, given our struggles against the run last year. Again, I'd like the Saints to be a power running team that also stops the run.
Round 4 (Pick 127)
NCC Selects: Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pittsburg
-Yes, more consonants for Hebert, but this was more of a want pick. Abanikanda is a tough, fast back who can do a bit of everything and was very productive in college. I agree with the idea that, even when we have Kamara, he shouldn't be used on tough interior runs. He gets worn down as the season goes on. The best Kamara is the rookie or second year Kamara--8-12 running attempts; 6-8 pass receptions; 15-20 touches overall, mainly on the outside or in space. Alvin's a scalpel. Don't use him like a hammer.
At this point we kind of lost the thread of the draft and there was some couch napping going on. But I did revive long enough to really like the Saints trading back into the sixth round of WR A. T. Perry. He was a guy I thought about in the 5th, but thought running back was more important to address. I also really liked Haener as a QB prospect, but didn't think the position was a priority this year. But still a good pick, I thought.
That's it. I know I failed miserably to address our pass rush needs. I guess I'm hoping for a big jump up from Carl Granderson! Until next year...
Round 1 (Pick 29)
NCC Selects: O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida
-Two of my friends took Bresee, like the club ended up doing, but I was too wary of his injury history and lack of production at Clemson. Or maybe I still have PTSD from the Saints' Shawn Knight selection when I was a kid. At any rate, my pick would have been Mazi Smith, the huge DT out of Michigan, but the Cowgirls grabbed him at 26, which honestly makes me wonder if I had the wrong guy targeted. I loved the idea of adding this mauler to our Oline as part of my admittedly retro plan for the Saints to become a power running/play action team with Carr.
Round 2 (Pick 40)
NCC Selects: Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
-Everyone in our group had a different selection at 40, but I was surprised to see Sanders on the board and I gave in to the impulse of adding a fast, destructive linebacker to our group, who, honestly, I don't trust to survive the season without substantial time on the IR. Sanders seems like the kind of workout warrior, RAS start the Saints would love, but I get that they probably had pass rushing DE as a higher priority. I think Sanders showed big potential as a Kaden Ellis like rush blitzing linebacker, but I recognize that both of the guys I picked went much later in the real draft than I picked them, so maybe I reached a bit.
Round 3 (Pick 71)
NCC Selects: Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
-This was my hardest pick. I really, really wanted to take a RB here (though my guys were Spears, Achane or Bigsby) or Darnell Washington, the big TE out of Georgia, but having skipped the chance to get a DT earlier, I didn't have the guts to pass on Ika, who is close to being the run-stopping mauler I wanted in Smith in the first round.
Normally we don't pick beyond the Third Round as we understand that we've already far exceed our already limited knowledge on prospects, but a few guys came back on Saturday and the Saints' were active, so we did Round 4, before the beers kicked in too hard. Saints juiced us up by getting the first pick of the fourth round as well and everyone had plenty of time to sift through the remaining prospects before the last day got started.
Round 4 (Pick 103)
NCC Selects: Adetomiwa Adebawore DT, Northwestern
-Did I make this pick in part just to hear Bobby Hebert try and pronounce his name when he's a few beers in? Possible. But he just looked like a guy who had fallen down the board a bit and had great testing numbers. Projected him inside as a 3-technique tackle next to a big space-eater like Ika. Plus, I'd taken O-line in round one already so, I thought shoring up our interior defensive line made sense, given our struggles against the run last year. Again, I'd like the Saints to be a power running team that also stops the run.
Round 4 (Pick 127)
NCC Selects: Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pittsburg
-Yes, more consonants for Hebert, but this was more of a want pick. Abanikanda is a tough, fast back who can do a bit of everything and was very productive in college. I agree with the idea that, even when we have Kamara, he shouldn't be used on tough interior runs. He gets worn down as the season goes on. The best Kamara is the rookie or second year Kamara--8-12 running attempts; 6-8 pass receptions; 15-20 touches overall, mainly on the outside or in space. Alvin's a scalpel. Don't use him like a hammer.
At this point we kind of lost the thread of the draft and there was some couch napping going on. But I did revive long enough to really like the Saints trading back into the sixth round of WR A. T. Perry. He was a guy I thought about in the 5th, but thought running back was more important to address. I also really liked Haener as a QB prospect, but didn't think the position was a priority this year. But still a good pick, I thought.
That's it. I know I failed miserably to address our pass rush needs. I guess I'm hoping for a big jump up from Carl Granderson! Until next year...