After 3 rounds, I think it's fair to say the Saints are passing this "draft" exercise with flying colors. LSU blogger Kris Brauner of Saturday Night Slant turned me on to Bloguin's NFL draft guru who runs Optimum Scouting. Optimum Scouting, among other things, ranks the top 400 prospects in order of potential/talent. Who might recognize three of the names that appear in the top 33. That's right, Optimum Sports has Cameron Jordan ranked 9th, Mark Ingram ranked 12th, and Martez Wilson ranked 33rd overall in this year's class. Johnny Patrick, on the other hand, is ranked 148th, so that pick may be considered a bit of a stretch. Still, for the Saints to walk away from this draft with 2 players ranked in the top 12 and 3 players ranked in the top 33 is about as monumental of a pull as any fan could hope for. Simply put, the Saints made themselves significantly better after two days of drafting. Any way you cut it, I don't see how you can say that the Saints haven't outdone every other team in the NFL to this point in the draft. To me, the Saints come out of this draft with an A. You might think I'm biased, and that's fine, but this is first time I've ever said that. In fact, I gave the Saints a C- for their drafting efforts last year, so just because I'm a fan first and a biased blogger second, it doesn't mean I can't be a harsh critic.

The bottom line is the Saints have landed three top notch prospects that I fully expect to develop into starters. Whether they become full time starters this year or 2-3 years from now remains to be seen, but I'll be shocked if these three guys aren't consistent difference makers very soon.

Other News:

The Saints bolstered their defensive backfield with their second 3rd round pick, taking Johnny Patrick of Louisville. This is the first pick I don't love by the Saints in this draft. I really wanted Drake Nevis of LSU and he was gone the pick before us, so at least I won't go crazy about us passing on him. To be honest, I don't know much about Patrick. The fact that he's joined the Saints makes me wonder if the writing is on the wall for veteran Randall Gay.

The top 3 spots seem on lockdown with Tracy Porter, Jabari Greer and Patrick Robinson. If Randall Gay is on the team despite his large contract, he'll be the #4. That means Patrick will be competing between #4 and #5 corner on the roster. I think this adds depth, but I have a hard time imaging him as a guy that's going to be a difference maker on the roster. I know those guys are sometimes hard to find in the 3rd round, but still, I don't love the pick. He's a dime back and a special teamer at best. It seems to me the Saints could have done better.

Here's Patrick's write up on NFL.com:

The newest member of the Saints is a linebacker, thank God. His name is Martez Wilson and he was graded by many as a low 1st round pick. The Saints are in need of a defensive boost on the front 7 and they got themselves a young linebacker that will be in the mix as a special teams contributor and a competitor to start. 

Once again, the Saints have gotten outstanding value with their pick, and I think they're managing this draft as arguably the best in the history of the team. I am absolutely in love with the way they've managed this draft so far, and if you know me as a blogger you know that i've never said that before.

Wilson came from the 3rd round pick the Saints got from the Washington Redskins thanks to a trade for Jammal Brown. 

Here is Wilson's write up on NFL.com:

I really do believe the Saints pulled of the coup of the draft last night. Let's face it, the NFC South in general had some massive movement with the Carolina Panthers taking Cam Newton, and the Atlanta Falcons trading all the way up to #6 to land Julio Jones. And yet somehow, picking 24th, the Saints were able to one up both of them. Not only did we land Cameron Jordan at 24, which was tremendous value and majorly helped a position of need, but we traded to get Mark Ingram at 28th overall which again represented ridiculous value that low in the draft. 

The last time the Saints selected two players in the 1st round...

Many of you were calling for the Saints to take Ingram at #24, and while that didn't happen - he ended up with the Saints anyway. The price was steep - a 2nd round this year and a 1st round pick in 2012. Still, the Saints have landed the best running back in the NFL draft and a former Heisman Trophy winner. The guy knows how to find the endzone: 46 touchdowns in just 3 years with Alabama. While his health is a question mark, the Saints have the luxury of a deep crew with Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory, Reggie Bush and now Ingram. All of them have injury history, but all of them have the potential to be scary good when healthy. All in all I think the first round has to be a grand slam for the Saints, considering they walked away with two players at picks 24 and 28 that most experts had listed as top 20 prospects.

Here is Mark Ingram's write up on NFL.com:

Let us all welcome the newest member of the New Orleans Saints' family, as the Saints have selected Cam Jordan. At 6'4", 283lbs, Jordan has excellent size for a 4-3 defensive end. He was ranked the best, or the second best defensive end by almost all experts. The fact that he dropped 24th comes as a massive surprise. Jordan finished with 5.5 sacks in 2010, and he's regarded as a complete defensive end that's equally good against the run and rushing the passer, very intelligent, and noted for his character. Sounds like a Sean Payton guy. The word is he does not posess, however, top end explosiveness.

Here's his write up on NFL.com:

The NFL draft is tomorrow! Expect up to the minute detailed coverage of the Saints' every move right here on this blog, with my thoughts on the players we select. Stay tuned as it will all unfold very soon. Feel free to take a peek at my MOCK 1st ROUND DRAFT and see how close I am to the actual picks.

Federal Judge Susan Nelson (pictured) has ruled in favor of the players and has lifted the lockout effective immediately. If you haven't heard, that means players are allowed to go back to team facilities. She also denied the NFL's request for a stay, which means the ruling is headed for the 8th circuit court of appeals. While the lockout is lifted for the time being, no one is really sure what that changes in practice. The teams aren't sure, the players aren't sure, and the legal issues are likely to change things again eventually. The real question is how long will everything take?

The more immediate question is can free agents be signed and trades be made now? If so, do the teams want to do so quickly before another lockout happens, or will the owners who want a lockout refrain from signing off on free agents until a new deal is in place? Lots of questions...

Roger Goodell had his own feelings to share on the ruling...

Darren Sharper claims that his knee is now "110%" and that he's ready to come back and play football for another season. I'm never going to be one to doubt Sharper after the season he had with us in 2009. I have zero doubts that if he's healthy he can come back and play at a much higher level than he did last season.

But do the Saints even want him back?

Who do people have the Saints taking at #24? That's the big question. I've included a list of a number of picks below. The draft is now 4 days away!

Feel free to also check out two recent posts I published:

Who Would You Want: Phil Taylor, Corey Liuget or Muhammad Wilkerson? 

The New Orleans Saints Draft Needs

Here's the list of mock drafts and who they have the Saints picking at #24: