2010 NFL Draft: What Will The New Orleans Saints Do With The 64th Pick In The Second Round?

Currently the Saints hold the 32ndpick in the first round and the 64thpick in the second round of the upcoming draft andhave been projected to take a defensive lineman or linebacker there at the bottom of the first round.

But what will they do with their second round pick?

There is a multitude of talent available in the second round andthose picks are considered  “value players” by franchises as they don’t demand the large contracts that the blue chip prospects command withthe upper picks in the first round.

Recently the Saints signed former Bear defensive end Alex Brown to a two year contract and have lined up a visit with free agent defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson early next week.

The signing of Brown, and potential signing of Wilkerson, could impact how the Saints draft with the first few picks and totally alter their draft strategy overall.

Within reach of the Saints 64th pick are…

• Koa Misi, OLB Utah , 6-3 251 pounds: Misi is currently making the transition from a defensive end in college to an outside linebacker at the pro level posting strong performances by a DE convert in linebacker drills at his Senior Bowl, Combine and pro day workouts. Misi has been pegged as more of a 3-4 pass rush linebacker than a true 4-3 outside linebacker but his aggressive style and quickness could still translate into the 4-3 scheme the Saints run. Currently he is ranked as the 53rd best prospect overall and the 6th best outside linebacker in the draft.
• Dexter McCluster, WR Mississippi, 5-9 172 pounds: McCluster is one of the more interesting prospects in this years draft as he apparently can do it all — receiver, running back, punt and kick return — all abilities an offensive guru like Saints head coach Sean Payton loves. During his senior season he  played in all thirteen games and started twelve for Ole Miss, including seven at wide receiver and five at running back where he ranked 38th in the nation in rushing (89.92 ypg) and 46th in all-purpose rushing (132.08 ypg). He led the team in rushing andranked fifth in the SEC with 181 carries for 1,169 yards with 6.46 yards per carry and eight touchdowns. Currently he is rated as the 56th best prospect overall and the 6th best “wide receiver” in the draft.
• Alex Carrington, DE Arkansas State, 6-5 285 pounds: Carrington is a big physical defensive end renowned by scouts for his excellent run defense and strength refereed to as “country strong” when being described. Carrington is much more of a bull style pass rusher then a finesse style pass rusher notching 19.5 sacks over the last two seasons for the Red Wolves including falling just one sack short of the Sun Belt Conference record of  11.5 in 2008. Currently he is rated as the 61st best prospect overall and the 6th best defensive end in the draft.
• Jason Worilds, DE/OLB Virginia Tech, 6-1 254 pounds: Worilds is also considered a tweener type player, too small for defensive end and not athletic enough for a true linebacker. However scouts are impressed with is speed and agility for a 254 pounder, Worilds posted a 4.49 forty time, had a 9-10 broad jump and a 4.13 shuttle time. Unlike Carrington before him Worilds is a finesse style pass rusher that relies on his quickness and explosion off the line to reach the quarterback. This style notched him 14 sacks in his three years as a Hokie even after being double teamed most times. Currently he is rated as the 58th best prospect overall and the 7th best defensive end in the draft.
• Torrell Troup, DT UCF, 6-3 314 pounds:Troup has already worked out for the Saints so clearly the team is thinking about selecting him with their second round pick. Troup is UCF’s best prospect this season and scouts are impressed with his run stuffing prowess noting he is able to fight of blocks, single and double, routinely to make the play. A bull style pass rusher he relies on his brute strength to hammer defenders into the backfield and disrupt plays showcasing a high motor as he never gives up. Troup finished his senior season at Central Florida with 96 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and three interceptions. Currently he is rated as the 63rd best prospect overall and the 9th best defesive tackle in the draft.

These potential prospects represent some of the talent in and around the 64th pick, however players can drop and rise dramatically depending on how a particular team has them graded and in no way are draft placement projections a truly accurate forcast of what will happen.

New Orleans has already met with several prospects not listed here that carry second round grades such as Iowa linebacker Pat Angerer, Tuland wide receiver Jeremy Williams and South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood.

So just who they will take in the second round? Well we wont know that until April 23rd.

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