New Orleans Saints Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda: 2010 NFL Draft

August 25, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Patrick Robinson (21) against the Houston Texans prior to kickoff of a preseason game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

In a new series here for Who Dat Dish, we’ll take a look at draft picks(Rounds 1-3) for the New Orleans Saints starting in 2010.  This is the earliest I wanted to start since this is where players picked in the top three rounds should start to develop at their respective level.  We’ll also look at picks the Saints should have or could have made close to those selections.

Round 1, Pick 32:  Patrick Robinson, Cornerback(Florida State)

Robinson struggled like the average rookie does his freshman year in the NFL.  He had issues adjusting to the speed of the game at first and finished ’10 with 26 tackles as the only standout stat.

Rebounding in ’11, Robinson seemed to pick up the speed of the game and had 38 tackles with four interceptions.  He showcased his speed and aggressiveness while becoming more confident.

Although ’11 was kind to him, Robinson shows a shaky start to ’12.  His first two games of the season was riddled with missed tackles, missed interceptions, and a huge mental error that led to him calmly jogging off the field that caused the Saints to be penalized for twelve men on the field.

That helped the Washington Redskins keep a drive alive and killed some momentum for the Saints who were struggling defensively.  Robinson admitted he had never been part of that type of penalty ever and vowed to correct it.

Selections the Saints could have made:

Nate Allen, Safety(South Florida)-Allen has recorded 5 interceptions(3 his rookie year), 2 sacks, and 122 tackles.  He could have been upgrade to the current safety corps for the Saints who haven’t had an interception since December of 2010.  He was picked in the second round with pick #37 by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Rob Gronkowski, Tight end(Arizona)-Gronkowski made an immediate impact coming into the game after being selected with pick #42 by the New England Patriots.  He broke the single season record for receiving yards by a tight end last year and has 144 career receptions for 2,008 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Of course with this selection, the Saints wouldn’t have chosen another certain tight end who has been another impact for the Saints.