It was the same old story for the Saints in 2008. Even though they had the #1 ranked offense in the league New Orleans was once again held back by a leaky defense, finishing out of the playoffs with an 8-8 record. The Saints didn’t have either a second or third round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft thanks to trades for Jeremy Shockey and Jonathan Vilma so they needed to make the few selections they did have count. Despite their meager Draft Day arsenal the Saints already had the talent to compete and a savvy pick or two could help take them not only to the playoffs but perhaps even the Super Bowl.
When evaluating the Saints defense and trying to find a reason for their ineptitude the secondary often receives the brunt of the criticism. And rightfully so. That’s why the Saints had to be thrilled when Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins, the top defensive back in the draft, was still available in the middle of round one. A battle-tested three-year starter in the Big Ten with prototypical size (6-0, 204), top-notch intangibles and an outstanding program pedigree, Jenkins likely would have come off the board in the Top 5-10 overall had he run better in workouts. That lack of ideal timed speed (4.55) made many scouts question whether he’d be able to play cornerback at the next level but even if things don’t go as planned outside he can always make the move inside, a la Antrel Rolle. Actually, there are many scouts who believe Jenkins is capable of developing into a Pro Bowl-caliber free safety. New Orleans plans to start Jenkins out at corner where he will compete with Tracy Porter, Randall Gay and Jabari Greer for playing time. Jenkins will likely begin his rookie season in a nickel or dime role but as long as the speed factor doesn’t prove to be insurmountable he should crack the starting lineup sooner rather than later.
More than one hundred prospects came off the board between New Orleans first and second picks but they were rewarded for their patience with Wake Forest S Chip Vaughn. Despite owning an impressive college resume Vaughn didn’t have much buzz in the scouting community until he blazed a 4.51 forty at 6-13/8 and 221 pounts at the Scouting Combine, which was one of the best times registered by a defensive back in Indy. That impressive blend of size and speed led many to believe Vaughn would come off the board in round two or three but for one reason or another he fell a little further than expected. As a rookie Vaughn will provide depth at both strong and free safety but with Darren Sharper nearing the end of his career and Roman Harper failing to really establish himself an opportunity to slide into the starting lineup could present itself in the next year or two.
Later in round four the Saints brought one of Vaughn’s Demon Deacon teammates into the fold when they selected Wake Forest LB Stanley Arnoux. A four-year starter with experience both inside and outside, Arnoux doesn’t have the ideal size you look for at just 6-0 and 232 pounds but he really made a name for himself at the Scouting Combine by running a 4.61 forty yard dash. New Orleans didn’t have much depth at linebacker so Arnoux was slated for a critical backup role as a rookie but unfortunately he ruptured his left Achilles tendon in the first practice of rookie minicamp and will likely miss the entire 2009 season. What a tough break.
The Saints may have found a long-term solution at punter with their final pick of the draft, which came in round five. Southern Methodist’s Thomas Morstead was regarded by many to be the top kicking prospect in the ’09 Draft. Despite playing in relative obscurity at the once-proud S.M.U. program Morstead has all the physical tools and intangibles you look for at the next level. It would be an upset if Morstead wasn’t the Saints punter on opening day and they hope to have better luck with him than they did with Taylor Mehlhaff, a kicker they chose in the sixth round a year ago who quickly flamed out.
With just four total selections there wasn’t necessarily a lot to get excited about with this Saints draft class, at least not on the face. And that was before they lost one of those players to a serious injury. However, two of their picks (Jenkins and Morstead) may wind up starting as rookies and another (Vaughn) could have a chance to win a starting job down the line as well, which is a pretty impressive ratio. In fact, there were teams with two or three times as many selections that didn’t land that many potential starters! The acquisitions of Shockey and Vilma also have to be factored into the Saints final grade and when you take all of that into consideration this was actually a very effective Draft Day effort. Perhaps good things really do come in small packages.
