The 2008 NFL Draft: Day Two

And we're back! More picks, more Saints spin, more excitement.

Buddon (5:38 PM): Apparently, we were not finished. The Saints traded with the Packers to obtain this pick. Payton loves drafting receivers with size (see Colston and Meachem) and now added another one with some size. This pick is right around the same time we picked Colston two years ago. Let's hope that lightning strikes the same place twice.

An interesting observation about this year's draft is that we have no picks from small schools. I guess Loomis learned his lesson from last year.

Pick #237 (7th Round) - Saints: Adrian Arrington, WR, Michigan

Buddon (2:59 PM): And we're done. Not a big surprise that we drafted Mehlhaff since we did have him in for a visit. Our kicking game last year was woeful. I'm not sure what this means for the Argentinian nightmare, but we will have some competition at the kicker position. The good news is that rookie kickers can make an immediate impact. Look at Mason Crosby of Green Bay. Hopefully Mehlhaff can do the same.

Disappointingly, we did not address the RB and TE positions. Let's hope that the we can sign some undrafted free agents to add depth there.

Pick #178 (6th Round) - Saints: Taylor Mehlhaff, PK, Wisconsin

Buddon (2:15 PM): This looks like a good value pick. Scouts Inc. graded Nicks out as a 2nd or 3rd round prospect. So, to get him in the end of the 5th, means that we got good value. Nicks played left tackle, but is a better right tackle prospect. He has allowed only 1 sack in the last two seasons. At 6'4", 340 lbs, he is a huge offensive linemen and plays with a mean streak. Not surprisingly, because he is so big, he does not move as well laterally, but is a great drive blocker. Hence, his projected status as a right tackle. There are some potential character flags out there, as he has been suspended by the Cornhuskers before. In our locker room, though, with leaders like Brees, Bush, and Vilma, I'm not overly concerned. Since Stinchcomb is in the last year of his contract, and since he has been relativley mediocre anyway, this is a good choice.

Pick #164 - Saints: Carl Nicks, OT, Nebraska

Buddon (1:38 PM): Ten more picks until our second pick of the 5th round. Let's hope our next two picks address the RB and TE positions.

Buddon (1:22 PM): None of us could have predicted this pick, but we can all agree that any pick addressing the defense is a good thing. Pressley has a larger frame than Ellis, but is not nearly the player. The knock in him is his inconsistent effort and lack of the kind of motor Ellis has. The hope is that his motor will pick up when he is only asked to play in a rotation, rather than every snap, 60 snaps per game, as he did in college. Look for Ellis' motor to rub off on Pressley, and look for the Pressley pick to keep Ellis motivated.

Also, we have to laugh at the Cincinatti Bengals. This is twice in one draft that we have jumped ahead of them and sniped their pick. The Bengals picked a DT right after us this time, so it's likely they could have been interested in Pressley as well. It looks like we gave up our 7th round pick to move up these two spots.

Section123(1:10PM): You can never have enough defensive tackles, especially when your starters from last year are either old or undersized. If Pressley can get into our defensive tackle rotation at all, then he is a great pickup. I can't take another season of watching teams run the ball all over us. I'm glad Mickey Loomis seems to agree that defensive tackle is just as big a need as corner.

Pick #144 - Saints: DeMarrio Pressley, DT, NC State

Section123(12:58PM): Ah, day 2 of the draft. Lots of fairly big names going in rounds 3 and 4. I want to take a look back for a second at the Shockey/Shepard situation though. It looks to me like the Giants and Eagles completely ignored the laws of supply and demand when trying to shop Shockey and Sheppard. It was clear to anyone who watched the Giants last season that Shockey and Eli go together like oil and water; Eli is the kid whose lunch money Shockey used to steal. I would bet there is an entire generation of Eli Manning's that received swirlies from Jeremy Shockey growing up. Despite what the Giants want everyone to believe, they would have been better off taking a second round pick for Shockey this season. They still may move the tight end, but with all the talent that was available in round 2, they may have already missed the boat.

Same goes for the Eagles with Sheppard. We all know you just broke the bank on Asante Samuel. We all know Lito Sheppard wants a new, much bigger contract, and we all know that with Samuel and Sheldon Brown on your roster, you aren't going to give Sheppard that contract. Why not get some value for him, take a solid second round corner who is five years younger than Sheppard, pay him not even half as much, and bring him up in your system under Brown and Samuel? It makes sense from a monetary standpoint, and it's a good move for the future of your franchise. Paying three high-priced corners is not.

Instead, both teams decided to pretend like that which was completely obvious to everyone else, the fact that Shockey and Sheppard are both beyond expendable at this point, was not the case by demanding considerably more for either player than his realtive worth to the team. The Giants and Ealges have to understand that the only reason people are banging down their doors for these two players is because everyone realizes they are expendable, not because everyone is dying to have a Drew Rosenahus client and a player with a history of injuries. Teams want Shockey and Sheppard because they want a good deal, and when you refuse to acknowledge the reality of this situation, you end up taking your players and going home, like New York and Philadelphia will be doing. And frankly, good luck with that. Neither guy is happy, and they are both going to cause off-field problems for your teams should you not move them today.

Buddon (11:22 AM): There are still some rumors out there that the Shockey trade is not dead. I doubt that we would trade Tracy Porter, our 2nd round pick, now that we have had him for this long. However, I can see Shockey making a Chad Johnson-type stink of not being traded. Having won a Super Bowl without him, the Giants know that they do not need him and also don't want the distraction. So, there is some room for us to play hardball with the Giants and drive down Shockey's trade value. Maybe we can get away with giving up a 2nd round pick next year and getting Shockey.

Buddon (11:16 AM): I think offensive line depth is a priority. Look for us to take a guard in the next few picks. I also think a backup quarterback at some point is a possibility. John David Booty and Erik Ainge are still out there. Look for more depth at safety and linebacker as well. If Craig Steltz is still available when we pick, I would jump all over him. Most importantly, I would like to see us draft a big running back. BenJarvus Green-Ellis of Ole Miss would be a nice addition, as both Forte and Hester are off the board.

Buddon (11:05 AM): We still have a while to wait before the Saints next pick. There is some possibility that the Saints will package their two 5th round picks to trade into the 4th round, but I don't think it's very likely. We have our two high-end players, one who will be a day one starter and one who will hopefully contribute in nickel and dime packages. Now it is time to build some depth and to take a few fliers on small school prospects.