The 2017 NFL season has lasted into 2018 for many reasons, but the New Orleans Saints would not be in the playoffs today if it were not for the last two NFL drafts.
The story of the Saints’ 2017 season has revolved around a defense nicked with so many injuries, and they have bent but have not broken.
Without defensive tackle Nick Fairley and cornerback Delvin Breaux all season the Saints defense survived and played outstanding, and then came the injuries in the season to defensive ends Alex Okafor and Hau’oli Kikaha, middle linebacker A.J. Klein, outside linebackers Alex Anzalone and Nate Stupar and strong safety Kenny Vaccaro.
Even with starters down throughout the season, the Saints defense, which gave up 454 points in 16 games in 2016, trimmed that number to 326 in 2017.
And while the defense was the headline story, it was the development of the team via the NFL draft over the past two seasons that has short-term and long-term positive ramifications.
Give accolades out to Saints assistant general manager and college scouting director chief Jeff Ireland for helping piece together this setup for the past two drafts and also general manager Mickey Loomis and coach Sean Payton.
While this team has struggled mightily drafting players and signing veteran free agents from 2010-15, it is Loomis and Payton who set up the final board after getting draft grades and free-agent information from Ireland and his scouts.
In 2016, the Saints drafted defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, wide receiver Michael Thomas, safety Vonn Bell, defensive tackle David Onyemata and halfback Daniel Lasco.
Thomas has emerged as one of the top wideouts in the game, and Rankins, Bell and Onyemata are part of the success story this season and are tomorrow’s building blocks on defense.
Also part of that 2016 draft class is signing cornerback Ken Crawley and wide receiver/return man Tommylee Lewis as undrafted free agents. Crawley has developed into a good starting cornerback in the league, and Lewis has been a solid contributor as a reserve wide receiver and return man. The team also picked up place-kicker Wil Lutz from the Baltimore Ravens, and he has developed into one of the top young kickers in the NFL.
Then comes in the Class of 2017.
The Saints have had a couple of signature drafts.
In 1981, then-Saints coach Bum Phillips drafted halfback George Rogers, Pro Football Hall of Fame outside linebacker Rickey Jackson, safety Russell Gary, defensive end Frank Warren, tight end Hoby Brenner, offensive guard Louis Oubre, inside linebacker Glen Redd, defensive tackle Jerry Boyarsky, halfback Toussant Tyler, cornerback Johnnie Poe, fullback Hokie Gajan and defensive end Jim Wilks.
In 2006, Payton and Loomis selected board halfback/return man Reggie Bush, safety Roman Harper, offensive guard Jahri Evans, outside linebacker Rob Ninkovich, offensive tackle Zach Strief and wide receiver Marques Colston.
Ninkovich went on to hit the highlight spots with the New England Patriots, but Bush, Harper, Evans, Strief and Colston were the building blocks for the best run in Saints history in getting into the NFC championship game twice, winning Super Bowl XLIV and reaching the playoffs five times from 2006-13.
The 2017 draft has the Saints with two players who most likely will be the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year in cornerback Marshon Lattimore and halfback Alvin Kamara. The last time a football team had both rookies of the year in the same draft class was 1967 when the Detroit Lions had halfback Mel Farr and cornerback Lem Barney win those honors.
Both are signature players and considered one of the best in their respective positions in their first year. Lattimore is the most talented cornerback to ever wear the black and gold, and Kamara has emerged as the NFL’s version of Steph Curry in that you can’t take your eyes off of him when he has the ball in his hands as a runner, receiver or a return man.
The Saints were eyeing up Alabama all-American inside linebacker Reuben Foster with the 32nd overall pick in first round, but when the San Francisco 49ers swooped in one pick ahead of the Saints in a trade to select the talented but at times troubled linebacker. The Saints instead picked Wisconsin offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk.
Ramczyk had been only a one-year starter at Wisconsin after transferring from Wisconsin Stevens-Point, but he has played like a five-year veteran at both left and right tackle and he has started every game this season.
The Saints selected Utah free safety Marcus Williams in the second round, and he came in with the reputation of being a ballhawk after intercepting 11 passes, had 19 pass deflections and four forced fumbles in three seasons.
This season, Williams recorded 73 tackles, seven pass deflections and four interceptions for the Saints.
Outside linebacker Alex Anzalone beat out veteran Craig Robertson for the weakside linebacker spot and the former Gator standout started the first four games of the season for New Orleans before he went down to a season-ending shoulder injury.
Third-round pick Trey Hendrickson has been a valuable pass rush specialist coming off the edge and coaches on the team rave about his hustle, intensity and reaction skills out on the field.
Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, the Saints’ sixth-round pick from Miami (Fla.), was one of the stars in preseason, but he needs to develop his overall skillset as a technician and his play recognition skills to see more playing time on the field.
Throw in cornerback Arthur Maulet, offensive center Cameron Tom, halfback Trey Edmunds, all undrafted free agents the team signed after the draft, and three players they signed right after the final 53-man cut this summer in wide receiver Austin Carr, safety/special teams star Justin Hardee and quarterback/special teams phenom Taysom Hill and the Saints have hit football gold grabbing players coming from the 2017 draft.
The above mentioned young men will play key roles for the Saints today versus the Minnesota Vikings, and this two-year run of bringing in talented players via the draft are the building blocks of the future for the Saints.
So far this season, the Saints have struggled through an awful 0-2 start, battled injuries, pieced together an eight-game winning streak and beat the Carolina Panthers in the NFC wildcard playoffs.
Today is another huge test for a group of young men who seemingly understand big-game pressure, and they are talented.
NFL analyst Mike Detillier is based in Raceland.