NFL DRAFT: Saints mine smaller programs again

Saints coach Sean Payton demonstrated in his first draft that he wouldn’t overlook players from relatively small college programs n and found a couple productive rookies in the process.

In his second draft in New Orleans over the weekend, Payton once again spent several picks mining lesser-known talent.

“Good football players are found everywhere,” Payton said. “They come from all regions, they come from all schools. We’ll see in a couple weeks how they adjust and where they’re at.”

Of the seven new players the Saints acquired through the 2007 draft, one came from Kent State, one from Akron, one from Division I-AA Towson and one from Division II Wingate.

Yet Payton insisted the familiar tack was not inspired entirely by the success the Saints had with receiver Marques Colston and guard Jahri Evans last year.

“You’ve got to be careful you’re not trying to create or duplicate something. Each case is different,” Payton said as the draft wound down Sunday evening. “We try to unbiasedly look at these guys and say … ‘Are their work habits what we’re looking for and do they have the physical traits at the position and the athleticism at the position?'”

The Saints have nearly every starter returning from a squad that came within one victory of going to the Super Bowl last season. They also gained three solid defensive players during free agency in cornerback Jason David, safety Kevin Kaesviharn and linebacker Brian Simmons.

There wasn’t as much pressure to find players who’ll be major contributors right away.

When it came to replacing the one marquee player they lost n receiver Joe Horn n New Orleans went after a top player from an elite program in Tennessee’s Robert Meachem with their first pick, 27th overall, on Saturday.

“I’m biased toward big receivers. Marques Colston has good size and speed, Devery is the same way, and Meachem has good size as well,” Payton said. “I don’t think there was one bit of hesitation or discussion. … It was about a good football player that we were ready to take.”

Subsequent picks, however, appeared to be aimed more at developing depth at key positions such as cornerback, offensive line, even running back.

With its two third-round picks on Saturday, New Orleans took cornerback Usama Young of Kent State and offensive lineman Andy Alleman of Akron. The Saints then traded up 16 slots in Sunday’s fourth round to take Ohio State running back Antonio Pittman, then rounded out their second-day selections with Towson offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod, Wingate cornerback David Jones and Tennessee linebacker Marvin Mitchell.

“Hopefully, you are able to hit on some of those players and last year we were able to hit on a few of them,” Payton said. “You look to find football players who can compete to make your club and if you’re able to get production out of them in their rookie season, all the better.”

The selection of Pittman was among the more curious, since the Saints already have two of the NFL’s best running backs in Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush, as well as a solid veteran reserve in Aaron Stecker.

Payton said the Saints did not take for granted that Bush and McAllister would once again stay healthy enough to play in every game, and he added that Pittman’s talent was too much to pass up in the fourth round.

Still, even Pittman himself was caught off guard by the choice.

“I was shocked, but that’s life,” Pittman said. “They gave me a call and I’m happy to be a Saint now. It’s time to get in and compete.”

Pittman, 21, played three seasons for the Buckeyes, starting all 13 games for a 2006 squad that was ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of the season until a lopsided loss to Florida in the BCS national championship game.

Pittman carried the ball 242 times last season for 1,233 yards (an average of 5.1 yards per carry) and scored 14 touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 127 yards.

“You can’t have enough of these runners, so we’ll figure out his role down the road,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “Obviously, we’ve got a great amount of confidence in Deuce and what he brings to the table and the same thing with Reggie. So, more than anything else, it was a young back in Day Two, really, that appealed to us and nothing more than that.”