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New Orleans Saints 2017 NFL Draft: Day 1 – Tyler’s Thoughts

By Tyler Raymond

Marshon Lattimore of Ohio State reacts after being picked #11 overall by the New Orleans Saints. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Marshon Lattimore of Ohio State reacts after being picked #11 overall by the New Orleans Saints. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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New Orleans Saints fans certainly didn’t expect these players to be drafted, that’s for sure!

The 2017 NFL Draft certainly featured an interesting selection of names called for the New Orleans Saints. Some of these names may be athletes you love, despise, or simply don’t know!

Well, fear not Saints fans, because my name is Tyler Raymond. Follow me as I analyze the New Orleans Saints selections in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Let’s start with the first night of the 2017 NFL Draft…

PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 27: Marshon Lattimore of Ohio State reacts after being picked #11 overall by the New Orleans Saints during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 27: Marshon Lattimore of Ohio State reacts after being picked #11 overall by the New Orleans Saints during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Overview:

Let me start off by saying this was arguably the craziest selection by far of the entire draft night. Luckily if it weren’t for the 7 of the first 10 selections in the draft being offense, I’m not sure New Orleans would have been so lucky tonight regarding this pick. How amazing is it that it just so happened the best cornerback in the draft, and first to be taken slipped right on down to the New Orleans Saints.

Reason For Selection: 

It was inevitable that the New Orleans Saints were going to acquire a defensive back before the season started. With the uncertainty of the Saints cornerbacks returning unfortunately from injury, the team had to improvise. It just so happened that the Saints managed to pick the best cornerback of the lot!

Impact Marshon Lattimore Will Have In New Orleans: 

Despite the hamstring issues throughout his career, if Marshon Lattimore is healthy, expect the cornerback to ball out for the Saints. If they play their cards right, expect this acquisition to help secure the Saints secondary for years to come. Here’s why.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 06: Defensive back Marshon Lattimore of Ohio State looks on during day six of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 6, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 06: Defensive back Marshon Lattimore of Ohio State looks on during day six of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 6, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Let’s start with one amazing statistic. Out of the 35 passes opposing quarterbacks threw in Lattimore’s direction, Lattimore was able to get his hands on 14 of those passes, either deflecting or intercepting them. If that stat alone doesn’t show consistency, I honestly do not know what does. Some other fantastic attributes I love in Lattimore are his physicality, his closing speed, his natural instincts, general ball skills, and his ability to rarely get called for pass interference. In my eyes, it shows great focus and concentration playing the cornerback if you know where to jab, and grab someone and to not get called for a penalty.

When I watched film on Lattimore when Ohio State took on Oklahoma on draftbreakdown it was simple to see how talented and physically gifted Lattimore was. For those who are interested beyond the film dynamic, and are all about the stats component, I’ve got ya covered. In Lattimore’s time with Ohio State, Lattimore compiled 45 total tackles, 34 solo, 1 tackle for a loss, and 4 interceptions. Believe it or not half of the interceptions Lattimore posted his final season was against Oklahoma.

Here’s a little recap, this selection was perfect for New Orleans. Sure it wasn’t the linebacker in Haason Reddick or Reuben Foster. Sure it wasn’t the edge rusher in Derek Barnett, but the Saints made the right selection given the circumstances. The team found its cornerback, and a heck of a one if that, and the best part is the team didn’t need to trade up! At the end of the day the New Orleans Saints did what the team had to do to improve with their first overall selection.

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