Another NFL Draft has come and gone. The anticipation for the rookie draft begins the day after each team’s season ends and the chatter commences on the day after the Super Bowl. It’s a long three months for those teams that don’t make it to the Super Bowl. Mock draft after mock draft, talk about who wants to move up and who wants to move back, and speculation over what highly rated player will fall like a sack of potatoes in the first round, are most of the story lines from mid-February until late April. Most fans have their heart set on one player, only to become extremely disappointed when that man’s name isn’t called for their team’s selection.
Let’s move on to those who are headed down to Airline Highway for rookie minicamp this weekend.
Kenny Vaccaro, Safety – Texas (1st Round, 15th Overall)
On a defense that has grown unfamiliar with the term “playmaker”, this guy has a chance to change that. Vaccaro plays with a very high motor. He’s a smart, instinctive player who can do it all. He has the ability to cover like a safety, while he also has a knack for playing like a linebacker, coming down to the line of scrimmage and making plays in the running game. If the second part of that statement sounds familiar, Roman Harper is excellent when playing at the line of scrimmage, but it’s his cover skills that he lacks. Vaccaro’s best traits are his ability to fluidly change directions, combined with his straight-line speed. His leaping ability is also tremendous. If you haven’t seen his ESPN Sports Science video, check it out here they were able to rent a jumbotron and the video was all over the screens.
From this point on until training camp begins, people will speculate over who Vaccaro will replace. Will it be the aforementioned Harper or will it be underachieving, former first round pick Malcolm Jenkins? Truthfully, I don’t believe he will replace either. Not yet, at least. Vaccaro’s versatility gives the Saints many options to use all three of these guys. First off, he has the ability to play either safety position. On some plays, he will line up at strong safety, while Roman Harper drops down to the line of scrimmage and plays a hybrid safety/linebacker. On other plays, he will line up at free safety, while Malcolm Jenkins drops down to play the nickel corner back spot (Remember, Jenkins was a corner back in college and his rookie year). The third scenario, would be Vaccaro lining up on the inside receiver, while Jenkins and Harper play their usual positions. Also, don’t forget that Isa Abdul-Quddus became a larger part of the defense last year and will most likely continue to get better with experience. All in all, Vaccaro’s athletic abilities are impressive, but his dynamic versatility is what makes him that much more valuable.
Terron Armstead, Offensive Tackle – Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3rd Round, 75th Overall)
Although it’s way too early to tell, this guy has all of the signs of another mid-round home run for the Saints on the offensive line. Coming from a small school, Armstead was, for the most part, off of the radar during last season. He was invited to the East-West Shrine Game, where he absolutely dominated. He was then invited to the Senior Bowl and when he performed well and proved he could play with the big boys, he started catching people’s attention. Finally, he had one of the most impressive performances at the NFL Scouting Combine, showing his “freakish” traits. NFL Network Draft expert Mike Mayock said, “This guy had the freakiest combine of anyone not named Lane Johnson.” Of course, Johnson, an offensive tackle, was the 4th overall selection this year by the Eagles, so that’s not bad company for a relatively unknown, small school player to be mentioned with. While he is not dominant at either pass or run blocking, his pure athleticism allows him to make up where his technique lacks. The good thing about that, is that technique can easily be taught by NFL coaches.
Armstead will come in to camp as one of the rawest players the Saints drafted. Yes, he did everything he could to prove his worth before the draft, but the guy will still need to get used to competing with elite talent week in and week out. He is still expected to come in and compete for the starting left tackle position, though. His main competition appears to be Charles Brown, the under-achieving left tackle that New Orleans drafted in the second round back in 2010. Another comment about Armstead from Mike Mayock, mentioned his belief that the Saints could bring this guy in and let him spend his whole first year learning, then starting in his second season they’ll have their left tackle for the foreseeable future. Jackpot!
John Jenkins, Defensive Tackle – Georgia (3rd Round, 82nd Overall)
The selection of Jenkins was the culmination of what was one of the craziest third rounds in Saints history. It all started with the selection of Armstead, followed by a trade with the New York Jets to send them Chris Ivory in exchange for their 4th round pick, and finishing up with the Saints sending that 4th round selection, along with their own, to the Miami Dolphins for the 82nd overall pick, in which they barely beat the winding clock to get their pick in. Thankfully, they did and the Saints walked away with their third filled need in as many selections.
John Jenkins is a brick wall. Plain and simple. He stands at nearly 6’4″ and just about 350 pounds. He is a prototypical nose tackle, perfect for the Saints’ transition to the 3-4 defense. When Jenkins keeps his shoulders down, he is virtually impossible to move off of the ball with only one man. That’s something the Saints have been lacking in recent history. If he can come in and consistently occupy two offensive lineman, he will make Curtis Lofton’s job of filling the gap much easier. Don’t be fooled by Jenkins’ massive size and believe that he is simply a big blob that will sit in the middle of the line. For how big he is, he’s actually pretty athletic. He ran a 5.1 40-yard dash and does a decent job of moving side to side.
Kenny Stills, Wide Receiver – Oklahoma (5th Round, 144th Overall)
Here sits a guy that has the potential to produce 2nd round value at the receiver position. He quietly produced three very good seasons with the Sooners on an offense riddled with injuries. He averaged an impressive twelve touchdowns a year in their passing attack and always seemed to come up big in big games. He has excellent speed and while his 4.49 40-yard dash may not suggest so, his separation skills once he puts his pads on are what gives him the advantage. His size is believed to be part of the reason he dropped to the 5th round, as he stands under 6’1″ and 196 pounds. He’s rumored to avoid contact over the middle, which leads to drops that should be routine catches. His skill set fits well with the Saints, because with Colston, Graham, Moore, and Toon, he will rarely ever need to go over the middle. Look for this guy to step in and fill the vertical threat position that Devery Henderson will leave behind with his departure.
Rufus Johnson, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker – Tarleton State (7th Round, 183rd Overall)
Ever heard of Tarleton State? Me neither. Do you doubt the Saints for making this pick, because of that? Me neither. Along with Armstead, here lies another possibility for the Saints to strike gold with a player that no one other than the people who study potential draftees knows about. Johnson is a tall, athletic defensive end, who will most likely line up at outside linebacker for the Saints once the season starts. He stands at 6’5″ and a lean 266 pounds. He ran a 4.85 40-yard dash, showing pretty good speed for a player of his size and position. He is believed to be a very good pass rusher that will transition very well in the NFL, as long as he improves on his ability to defend the run. If he does in fact play outside linebacker, he will have to learn how to play from a 2-point stance, rather than having his hand in the dirt. If his athleticism is as advertised, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Wrap Up
All in all, the Saints did a fine job of not only finding their most essential needs, but filling those needs with some of the best talent available. With the exception of Johnson, it’s not far-fetched to believe that any or all of these guys can step in and make an impact in their rookie year in 2013. New Orleans’ transition to the 3-4 defense has certainly provided a lot of excitement just from the chalk-talk side of the spectrum thus far, so now it’s time to let patience kick in and sit tight while we wait for the 2013 season to arrive.
Stay tuned for the next article, a look back at what the Saints were able to do in free agency with their limited cap room.
Who Dat?!
