Mike Triplett breaks down the 2016 New Orleans Saints draft class.
Round 1, pick 12: Sheldon Rankins, DE, Louisville | Highlights
My take: There’s a reason why all four of ESPN’s final mock drafts went with Rankins to the Saints (including my pick in the NFL Nation mock). He was widely regarded as the best 4-3 defensive tackle in this year’s class, with the versatility to help against both the run and the pass. That should come in awfully handy for a Saints defense that badly needs help in both areas. New Orleans allowed the most yards per rush (4.9) and the most yards per pass (8.35) in the NFL last year.
Rankins (6-foot-1, 299 pounds) had 14 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss over his final two seasons at Louisville. He should be a perfect fit at the 3-technique position, though he also has the versatility to plug in at nose tackle at times. Rankins should rotate in with Nick Fairley and John Jenkins – both of whom are free agents after the 2016 season.
Senior Bowl star: Every year, the Saints have one of the strongest presences of any team at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., since it’s just a couple hours down the road. That could be where they fell in love with Rankins, who had one of the best practice weeks of any player in the all-star game, routinely beating guys in one-on-one drills and showing his athleticism in full-team drills. The Saints never visited with Rankins again after the Senior Bowl and the NFL combine. They were apparently convinced already. Rankins is not a dominant pass-rusher yet, but he does a little of everything well (pushing the pocket, shedding blocks and chasing plays horizontally).
Down to the wire: Although the Rankins pick was somewhat predictable, the Saints had some other intriguing options. They used almost every minute they had on the clock – perhaps fielding offers to trade down, since they went into this draft wanting to acquire more picks. They also could have considered one of the draft’s top 4-3 defensive ends, Clemson’s Shaq Lawson, or UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, who fell because of injury concerns. The Saints also passed on Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, but that was not a surprise, even though they met with Lynch multiple times in the pre-draft process.
Round 2, pick 47: Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State | Highlights
My take: Thomas has only one real strike against him -- he doesn’t play defense. Other than that, this pick was totally fair game. The value was good at No. 47, and the fit seems perfect along with smaller starting wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead. I listed Thomas as the best WR fit for the Saints heading into Day 2.
His speed isn’t electrifying (4.57 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine, 4.53 at his pro day). But that’s also not his game. He can high-point balls in traffic and possibly develop into a go-to guy for Drew Brees in the red zone. He caught 56 passes for 781 yards and nine TDs last year.
ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said building a WR corps is like building a basketball team, and the Saints “need a different body type.” He called him a perfect pairing with Cooks. ESPN’s Todd McShay agreed, saying he loved the pick.
“The leading receiver for Ohio State the last two years in an offense that wasn’t overly pass-happy, he may end up being a better NFL player than college player,” McShay said.
Great genes: Thomas’ uncle is former NFL standout Keyshawn Johnson -- also a big, physical receiver at 6-4, 211. Thomas said he picks Johnson’s brain a lot. He said he also watched Colston growing up and is eager to fill his shoes in New Orleans’ high-powered offense.
“He’s a big, physical receiver, just like I would consider myself,” Thomas said. “When they let him go, someone has to fill that role, it’s football. He was a tremendous part of their success. And just watching him as a kid I remember watching Monday Night Football and him making a ton of plays with Drew Brees. It’s still just shocking for me to be in this situation.”
Round 2, pick 61*: Vonn Bell, S, Ohio State | Highlights
My take: Love the player, don’t love the trade. The Saints had only six picks to start with in this year’s draft, and now they only have five. But once you get past that idea, it’s hard not to like the value they got with Bell at No. 61.
ESPN/Scouts Inc. had Bell rated as the No. 30 overall player in the draft. ESPN analysts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper both labeled him as the best cover safety in the draft. And Saints coach Sean Payton said he envisions Bell (5-foot-11, 199 pounds) as a free safety who has the ability to cover receivers in the slot.
The one knock on Bell from analysts such as McShay, Kiper and ESPN’s Louis Riddick is that he shies away from contact too much on film. But Bell shot down that criticism during a conference call with the New Orleans media, saying, “Man, I don’t know why they say that. I’m a phenomenal tackler. I’m very confident. I would never doubt myself. ... I don’t know why they keep saying that, it just really bothers me.”
Delivering for Payton: During the scouting process, the Saints were missing times on some of Bell’s shuttle drills. So Payton called Bell personally to ask if he could send the video of those drills. Payton admitted it also served as a pre-draft test. And sure enough, Bell delivered when Payton’s text messages were flooded with videos within a couple days.
Bell proudly said he proved he could come through for Payton. And Payton confirmed that it mattered.
“That was important to me,” Payton said. “I told him after we drafted him, I said, ‘Had you not sent me back those videos, you’d still be sitting home eating nachos right now.'”
Superdome star already: Bell had nine interceptions in three years at Ohio State -- including six as a sophomore, when the Buckeyes won the national championship. None of them were bigger than his fourth-quarter interception in the semifinal game against Alabama, which took place in front of the end zone in New Orleans’ Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Now Thomas will get several chances to top himself in the same building.
*Acquired in a trade with the Patriots
Round 4, pick 120*: David Onyemata, DT | Highlights
My take: My first reaction was, "Who?" I had to scroll down a few draft rankings lists to find Onyemata, who was ranked No. 251 overall on ESPN/Scouts Inc. But the answer to that "Who?" question is a fascinating one.
Once again, I don’t love the price the Saints paid to get Onyemata (a fifth-round pick this year and a fifth-round pick in 2017). The Saints now have only five draft picks this year and six next year. But I don’t have a problem with when they drafted Onyemata because of his upside.
Even though Onyemata is a relative unknown, there were some reports of him generating some buzz in recent weeks. His 33 bench-press reps at his pro day would have tied for the most of any defensive lineman at the combine.
‘Cinderella’ man: Onyemata’s college coach, Brian Robie, said he is known as "Cinderella" in Canada, where his draft selection is national news.
Onyemata trimmed down from 330 pounds in 2011 and developed into an explosive athlete for his size. He was named the best down lineman in the country last year, then he continued to turn heads across the border at the East-West Shrine Game.
Onyemata’s pro day drew 17 NFL teams -- which Robie said was by far the most ever in Canada -- including two defensive line coaches. One of them was Saints defensive line coach Bill Johnson.
"The level of competition, inexperience are obviously concerns. But he dominated that level of competition and performed really well at the East-West Shrine Game," ESPN analyst Todd McShay said. "A lot of raw tools to work with here."
The Saints had success the last time they scouted north of the border, drafting defensive tackle Akiem Hicks out of the University of Regina in the third round in 2012. They had even more success when they won a bidding war last year for CFL cornerback Delvin Breaux.
*Acquired in trade with Redskins
Round 7, pick 237: Daniel Lasco, RB, California | Highlights
My take: I ranked running back dead last among the Saints’ needs heading into the draft. But the seventh round is all about potential and upside -- traits that Lasco has flashed in his college career, at the East-West Shrine Game and especially at the NFL scouting combine.
The 6-foot, 209-pounder gave a dazzling performance in Indianapolis. His broad jump of 11 feet, 3 inches was the best ever for a running back at the combine. And his vertical leap of 41.5 inches was tied with defensive back Jalen Ramsey for the best of any player at any position this year.
Lasco will have a hard time working into the RB mix early with Mark Ingram, Tim Hightower, C.J. Spiller, Travaris Cadet, Marcus Murphy and Vick Ballard also on the roster. But it helps that Lasco played special teams in college, which could be a path to a roster spot.
MVP in 2014: Lasco’s teammate, quarterback Jared Goff, was the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. But Lasco beat him out for the honor of Cal’s MVP in 2014, when he ran for 1,115 yards and scored 14 total touchdowns.
However, Lasco’s senior year was derailed by hip and ankle injuries. He ran for just 331 yards and three touchdowns in nine games.