Apr 25, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Kenny Vaccaro (Texas) is introduced as the number fifteen overall pick to the New Orleans Saints during the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Last night, I listened to Kenny Vaccaro’s Interview with the media as well as Sean Payton’s Interview regarding him.

I read through every major sports rankings, and Vaccaro was consistently the highest ranked safety (Eric Reid was often 2-3 rankings behind him).  Analysis by Doug Farrar (Vaccaro was ranked 20th out of 50 total players) and Analysis by Greg Cosell demonstrated there is a huge upside to Vaccaro.  These are two of my most trusted analysts–good analysts are a substitute when you cannot get your hands on college tape like us mere bloggers.  Both Cosell and Farrar had him as their top ranked safety.

In Vaccaro, we obtained the best player available for the position of safety.  However, Vaccaro did not alwasy play traditional safety roles.  He was found more often in the slot and in nickel  situations, playing corner at times as well.   NFL Draft Profile - CBS Sports Profile - AOL Sporting News - Mike Mayock Ranking  (Also look for the vid by Vaccaro at the end)

In conclusion, if Safety play is an area that needed upgrading (and it was) then we have upgraded with Vaccaro. His play will allow Rob Ryan to mix coverage up a bit with Jenkins and Harper.  Jenkins may play more to his corner back strengths, and Harper may play more to his hybrid safety/linebacker talents like a Charles Woodson.

Our listed safeties are Jenkins, Harper, Quddus, Bush, Jeonhard, Nelson and Vaccaro.  Our CB’s are Greer, Lewis, Robinson, White, Davis, Steed, and Turner.   A pretty decent back field.  As for whether we should have chosen Jarvis Jones, I think we would not have done badly with either selection.  However, Victor Butler brings a nasty pass rush with him and perhaps, this was not such an area of need as safety was in the coaches’ opinion.

Additionally, if you will read this article by Greg Cosell on the evolution of the safety position and realize that Vacarro is versatile and has patterned himself and was coached by the same coach of Earl Thomas, you can see the easy choice that presented itself when Vacarro was on the board.  To conclude, here is Vaccaro’s NFL Highlight Vid

Nov 17, 2012; Madison, WI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Reid Fragel (77) during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 21-14 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Fragel is a player that intrigues me especially after his private visit with the Saints.   He has all of the measurables for an offensive tackle.  His height is 6.8 and arm width 33 inches.  His football character is off the charts.  When Ohio State lost its starting tackles in 2011, he moved from the blocking tight end position to tackle and added the necessary weight.  (He was more comfortable as a tackling tight end than a route runner.)  His durability is there–he played all 12 games at right tackle.  He was so impressive coach Urban Meyer has decided from now on that any player who comes out of nowhere to shine will earn the “Reid Fragel Award.”  He has also played basketball and competed in track and field.  He comes from a family of athletes.  Has been said he is the nicest person off the field but has a nasty streak on the field.

NFL.com  and CBS Sports analyses:  He does not play like a typical former tight end.

Run Game.  He gets after the DE on the outside and moves DLine men off the line of scrimmage in the run game with leverage and strong legs.  Quick off of the snap to block tackles and can take linebackers out of the hole for running plays.  Picks up interior blitzes and is not ridden outside by the DE.  Attacks the inside shoulder of DLinemen to put his body in the correct position

Pass Protection.  Attacks the DE’s in pass protection and rides them around in the pocket.  He flashes lateral movements and has a quick step to cut off the edge rushers.  Can mirror spin moves and cut off the inside lane for rushers.  Widens his base to prevent getting bulled. Uses effective angles.

Overall.  Shows recovery speed if he takes a wrong step out of the snap.  Shoulders are over toes when he moves to second level.  Plays with attitude and will finish plays.  Continues to fight even in put in a losing position.

Weaknesses.  Needs to use his hands more consistently to control his target off the snap. Strength lacking in grip and can be moved off balance.  His over aggressiveness can be taken advantage of as DLine men can get him off balance.  Must use his feet more to keep proper position to avoid being shedded.  Often lunges and gets off balance.  Needs technique work.  Had some false start penalties and   can get grabby yielding holding calls.  Limited experience on the left side and needs more weight for the right side.

Rankings.  He has been moving steadily up draft boards

Walter Football – #17

CBS Sports – #14

Draft Tek – #5

SB Nation – #10

Conclusion.  Reid Fragel would be a project to develop as a tackle for the Saints.  He has a lot of the right ingredients and will be available at the right time to be drafted.  He has durability and football smarts on his side.  Most assessment of any college tackle include lunging and getting off balance, those shortcomings can be fixed.  He would be a great pick up at the right time but he is raw.

Oct. 9, 2011; Charlotte, NC, USA; The offensive line of the New Orleans Saints faces the defensive line of the Carolina Panthers while playing at Bank of America Stadium. New Orleans wins over Carolina 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

When drafting players, teams always talk about taking the best player available.  However, the term “best player available” should always carry the caveat “best player available at a position of need.”  Mickey Loomis has indicated he will look at the current roster in order to determine the draft needs of the Saints with respect to the left tackle position.

You know the left tackle position—the one no team can live without—which was vacated by Jermon Bushrod’s move to Chicago.  However, there has been recent debate over Bushrod’s dominance as a left tackle and yet the Saints offense continued to put up great numbers.  How important is the left tackle?  Worth the first round pick? Or can the Saints draft later and obtain a quality player?

If the Saints wait until a later draft round, you have to ask yourself how important is the tackle position if you have a quarterback like Drew Brees?  The Saints philosophy has always been to bolster the guard position—thus we have Evans and Grubbs–and place less emphasis on the tackle position.   This philosophy works if the entire OLine plays together excellently as a unit and the running game is prevalent.  With a running game, the OLine is not swamped while routes develop, the defense drops back in coverage and sends the house against the line of scrimmage.

As a unit, the OLine usually holds up well given Brees’ quick release.  On average, Brees has a release time of under three seconds.  This makes any OLine look dominant if it can give him at least four seconds of time.  Most defenses would love to take the straightest line to the quaterback–up the middle; however, the Saints center and guards make this unlikely.  So they send edge rushers who take longer to get around to the QB.

So back to our original question—who can protect Brees for four seconds on the edge?  Do we currently have the talent in house to do so?

The Saints have been very adept at selecting OLine men.  A recent example is left guard Eric Olsen (a Bronco’s 6^th round draft choice) who was picked up from the Redskins practice squad at the end of the 2011 season.  He has fit in admirably with the Saints and has seen some good playing time.  So who do we presently have on the roster who can fill in at left tackle?

The skills of a left tackle include more pass blocking and the right tackle requires more run blocking.  Left tackles need long arms and quick feet against the edge rushers.  Our current tackles and ProFootball Focus rankings (subscription required) are as follows

Zach Strief  – Ranked 49^th out of 80 (Bushrod was ranked 44^th) Better at pass blocking than run blocking

Charles Brown – Ranks better as pass blocker than run blocker

Jason Smith – Played both right and left tackle as a Jet – better at run blocking than pass blocking

Bryce Harris – An undrafted player signed off of the Falcons’ practice squad – Better as a pass blocker than run blocker

Marcel Jones – No statistics – However, he played right tackle in college.

Our best and most experienced pass blocking tackle is Zach Strief who has always played right tackle, and it does not appear Strief will move to left.  This means Charles Brown is the likely starting left tackle given his greater level of familiarity with the Saints system and experience.  Jason Smith would seem a better fit at right tackle given his skill set.  Mickey Loomis indicated Marcel Jones is a right tackle but will cross train at both left and right.  It would make sense Bryce Harris will do so as well.  Although the conventional wisdom is left and right tackles are not easily interchangeable, there does appear to be a high degree of cross training among the 2^nd team players

Charles Brown – 3 years experience

In 2010, the Saints drafted Charles Brown in the 2^nd round.  He did not see significant playing time (124 snaps) until 2012 from Week 8 through Week 11 before he was injured.  His abilities as a pass blocker bode well for him continuing at the left tackle position, but the Saints have questioned his durability.  He has continuously battled injuries (hamstring, back, knee and hip) since signing with the Saints.

Jason Smith – 4 years experience

In college, Smith played tight end before moving to left tackle. In the NFL, he played right tackle as a Ram before being traded to the Jets where he played 265 snaps both at right and left tackle.  Smith was selected 2^nd overall in 2009 draft by the Rams.  He has been seen as a draft bust.  Smith has also suffered with injury problems in the past but was healthy all last season.  It would seem, given his run blocking skills, Smith is being sized up as a right tackle.  Hopefully, Rex Ryan was able to provide the Saints with some good information on his abilities.  ProFootball Focus rated him favorably in 2012.

Bryce Harris – Rookie

Harris signed as an undrafted free agent with the Falcons in 2012.  Although he did not make the team, he was kept on the practice squad.  He was signed to the active roster of the Saints once Marcel Jones was injured in Week 1. He played left tackle in college and was a tough, durable player. He was graded as a smart, high character player who can learn any position but not a natural knee bender whose technique and footwork needed refinement.  Harris played basketball but is not a fluid player.  Harris comported himself well in the games with Oakland and San Francisco until he went out with a broken leg.

Marcel Jones – Rookie

Jones was drafted in the 7^th round in the 2012 draft.  After a good training camp and preseason, Jones won a starting job on the 53-man roster last year before suffering a knee injury in Week 1 practice.  He played right tackle in college and basketball in high school.  He was an honors student and is a high character individual.  Jones is the perfect prototype for the tackle position and was a dominant player in college with good run blocking ability. However, Jones was oft injured.

These players are smart, gifted athletes but some of their durability issues are causes for concern.  Given the cross training and levels of experience, it does appear the Saints can cobble together a tackle rotation.  This may bode well if there is a commitment to the running game, and Drew Brees is given the needed 4 seconds.  However, it does seem likely the Saints will draft a left tackle in order to develop someone who is dominant and healthy for the long run.  (This should have been Charles Brown’s role during the Bushrod years.)   The Saints are not given to placing rookies in their first year in starting roles, so unless they run counter to form, expect them to start Brown and to continue to develop players behind him while looking for a durable and dominant player.

If there is no dominant tackle available in the 1^st round, I would expect the Saints to think about trading up for Menelik Watson in the 2^nd round.  If not, I would expect them to look closely at Reid Fragel or Jordan Mills in the 3^rd round.