New Orleans Saints Offseason Evaluation: Defensive Backs

Note: This is the fifth, and final, in a five-part series evaluating the New Orleans Saints roster heading into the draft.

"Bernard Berrian...Touchdown Vikings!"

"Matt Ryan fires to end zone...Touchdown Roddy White!"

"Steve Smith makes a remarkable catch over two Saints defenders. That ball should have been picked off."

These are just some of the lines you may have heard a season ago when the New Orleans Saints defense was on the field. Rare was the instance when you would hear, "what a play by Jason David" or "Randall Gay with the pick".

Why?

Because it didn't happen very often. I'm not the first to slaughter the Saints secondary, and probably won't be the last. It cost the team at least two games a season ago.

But guess what?

There is hope. Gone are safeties Kevin Kaesviharn and Josh Bullocks. Gone is veteran corner Mike McKenzie, who has been the lone steadying force among this group for most of the past five seasons.

Mickey Loomis, Sean Payton, and Gregg Williams have essentially decided to start over in the defensive secondary. Here's a look at the new secondary.

Safety

Roman Harper, Darren Sharper, Chris Reis, and Pierson Prioleau

The saints can have a new fresh start on defence with Darren Sharper one of the persumed starter. The other presumed starter is Harper. Maybe the Saints can petition the league for extra points for having safeties with rhyming names.

The reality is that Sharper is a veteran who has played in the NFC North for his entire career in Green Bay and Minnesota. In that division, Sharper was able to become one of the most effective safeties of this decade, as he is the active career leader in interceptions with 54.

But the Saints didn't bring him in just to snares balls out of the air. They brought him in for his leadership and his experience. They brought him in to bring stability to a position that has very little of it.

And although Sharper has been on pass defenses that have been near the bottom of the league the last few years (really until last season when the Vikings finally found a pass rush), he is a guy who will hold up on the back end and allow for the corners to play aggressively.

Harper is kind of the classic in-the-box safety. He is good coming up to play the run, and is one of the better blitzers from the safety position.

Unfortunately, he is not quite as good in coverage, which is okay since the Saints now have a guy who is, in Sharper. Expect Gregg Williams to play a lot of eight-man fronts and allow Harper to play near the LOS.

Reis and Prioleau are good special teams players who are able to step in and be effective in the secondary if injuries were to occur to either Harper or Sharper (I just love writing that, it sounds like a law firm). But neither is going to start on Opening Day.

Reis is probably good enough to start at some point in the middle of the season if necessary, but I would prefer he not. 

I wouldn't surprised in the least if the Saints draft Malcolm Jenkins and allow him to play both corner and safety in camp, and have him back up both spots his rookie year. In two years, he would likely then start at safety opposite Roman Harper.

Grade:  B- (Sharper is kind of old, Harper is really only an in-the-box safety, and Reis and Prioleau are nothing to write home to mom about as backups. I really hope Jenkins is the pick at 14.)

Cornerback

Randall Gay, Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter, Jason David, Usama Young, and Leigh Torrence

In my opinion, Randall Gay was by far the most consistent corner the Saints had a season ago. Rarely did opposing quarterbacks throw his way and complete passes. I remember he shut up and coming Dwayne Bowe (Chiefs) down. Same thing with Antonio Bryant. If I recall Bryant's TD was on Jason David. Either way, I see no way Gay is not at least the nickel back next season.

Jabari Greer has started the past two seasons in Buffalo and done a nice job, although he is most noted for his speed that he exhibited back in his college days at Tennessee.

The Saints are taking a bit of a gamble that Greer can be a consistent lock-down type corner. I'm not sold. I think he is more the Dre Bly type. That being a guy who will make plays, but get beat a lot.

Tracy Porter was a rookie last season that almost mirrored Roman Harper's rookie season. He looked promising, and then in the fifth or sixth game he goes down with an injury to end his season. Let's hope Porter comes back a little quicker and more consistent than Harper has to this point.

Jason David...aw, Jason David. The name alone probably makes most Saints fans want to cry or get a punching bag and go at it for about an hour.

But I feel differently. You have to remember that corners will get beat some. But David has made a lot of great plays as a Saint. Would Coach Payton prefer more consistency?

Of course he would. I would too. But I'll take a guy who gives it everything he has as David does and makes some plays over a guy like Dre Bly who gives next to no effort and gets burned even more.

Usama Young is still a work in progress. I'd love to see him step up and get some time aside from the special teams work. But he has to prove he is deserving. To this point, he hasn't.

Leigh Torrence is a guy who played well in emergency action a season ago. His status is currently up in the air, since the Saints tendered him a one-year contract, but he is yet to sign with a team. Personally, I hope someone bites and the Saints let him go.

This would allow for the Saints to justify going after Jenkins or maybe trading down and picking up D.J. Moore (my favorite corner in the draft).

Grade:  B- (Gay is a pretty good corner, but too many questions after him. One more player for depth is important. I personally hope it's Jenkins or Moore. There are a few other players I would be satisfied with as well.) 

And that concludes my off seasonevaluation of the New Orleans Saints roster. On paper, this team is immensely talented, and has a good coaching staff. Right now, they are working hard in the weight room and running.

That is where a team can set themselves apart. It is important that the guys in that locker room work as hard as possible to be in the best shape possible, and to be as strong as possible.

That is what it takes to finish in the fourth quarter, which was the Saints biggest problem last season.

If everything comes together, there is absolutely no reason this team cannot win the NFC South and be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. But that's why they play the games.