2012 Saints Big Board: Building the New Orleans Draft

The one thing you'll never see as a member of the media is the draft board of any NFL team.

I had delusions of grandeur when I started covering the Atlanta Falcons that I'd get to sit in the war room and watch Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith discuss potential draft picks with scouts and other coaches. That's not going to happen. Never.

Those guys would just as soon give me their wallet to hold for the weekend or allow me to date a family member than to let me see, for just one quick second, their draft board.

But, just because I don't know for sure who a team is looking at on their "big board," it doesn't mean I can't speculate. Right?

Today I'll take a look at the New Orleans Saints. I'm going to make educated decisions on who the team might take with each of their five draft picks in 2012.

Because the Saints traded their first-round pick and were forced to forfeit their second-round pick, the first time anyone from the Saints organization will get to step up and hand a card to the commissioner will be with the 89th pick in the draft.

Let's start there.

Round 3 (Pick No. 89)

The Saints could go in a number of directions here, and we won't know for sure which way (they might not either) until the first two rounds unfold in front of them. Likely, New Orleans will go for a defensive lineman, or possibly a cornerback. Here are some options:

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse - Because of his length, Jones is being compared to Jason Pierre-Paul by many draft services. Because New Orleans could use some help with its pass rush, grabbing Jones makes perfect sense here.

Malik Jackson, DE, Tennessee - Jackson not only has a quick burst to get around offensive tackles, but he's versatile enough to play defensive tackle as well, which is another area of need for the Saints. If Jones is gone by pick No. 89, Jackson is a great alternative.

Josh Norman, CB, Coastal Carolina - The Saints lost Tracy Porter to free agency and could use some depth in the defensive backfield. Norman has quick feet, has great ball skills, and if beat, can close quickly on a receiver.

Round 4 (Pick No. 122)

Obviously if the Saints go defensive line with pick No. 89, they could go to Norman for the reasons mentioned above. I'm also pretty sure fans would love another option to Patrick Robinson in the defensive backfield. There are other options as well:

Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State - Bolden missed the entire 2011 season because of a torn ACL. He impressed, however, at his pro day in March and showed the injury is behind him. He also had an extremely solid book of experience prior to the injury to allow NFL teams a way to project Bolden's value.

Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona - Wade is a finesse cover corner that makes up for his lack of size (he's 5'10") with impeccable footwork and flexibility. He's not going to keep up with the fastest receivers in the NFL, but can make up for that by being an excellent route jumper.

Nate Potter, LT, Boise State - If the Saints don't like the corner landscape in the fourth round, they may take a look at Potter. He's a very smart pass protector with quick feet and good technique. Music to the ears of Drew Brees.

Round 5 (Pick No. 162)

I can see the Saints going with an outside linebacker here. I know that New Orleans just signed Curtis Lofton as a middle linebacker in case Jonathan Vilma misses any time.

But those that think Lofton can be shifted to the outside weren't watching last season when Lofton seemed over-matched in coverage. Oklahoma's Travis Lewis has good instincts and can drop into coverage when needed. He sees the ball well and reads routes, and quarterbacks, with ease.

Round 6 (Pick No. 179)

Brett Roy led the Western Athletic Conference in both tackles for loss (18.5) and sacks (10) last year as an interior defensive lineman. That's the kind of pressure New Orleans would like out of a defensive tackle.

Roy is either going to have to put on some weight or be relegated to passing downs at defensive tackle. But his high motor and work ethic will go a long way at the next level. If he can't put on weight, Roy also played defensive end, linebacker and safety in college.

Round 7 (Pick No. 234)

If the Saints haven't addressed offensive tackle by now, they'll give it a lot of thought in the seventh round. There isn't too much depth at right tackle this season and New Orleans could fill up here and possibly get someone to push Charles Brown and Zach Strief.

Oklahoma State tackle Levy Adcock is very athletic and has some upside. The fact that he was a junior college transfer that didn't blossom until the end of his college career, could make him a unique find in the late portion of the draft. He's quick at blitz pickups and moves his feet well.