Saints retool roster, hoping for playoff trip

Entering the 2008 NFL draft, the Saints had a variety of questionable spots they needed to fill.

After a 7-9 season in which they failed to make a return trip to the playoffs, New Orleans retooled its roster, and used the draft as the starting point.

This year’s draft class consists of six players, all from major BCS conferences, who come to New Orleans in hopes of taking the Saints back to the playoffs.

Each player brings his own unique playing style to the team, and each is an upgrade to his respective positions for the Saints.

This year’s draft class consists of:

• 1st Round (7th overall) – Sedrick Ellis, DT (6-foot, 1 inch; 308 pounds) University of Southern California

Strengths: According to local draft analyst Mike Detillier, Ellis is a “unique” athlete and a “rare find” in the NFL. What makes Ellis stand out is the fact that he is not only good with the run, he is a solid pass rusher from up the middle.

Ellis creates situations when he forces pressure up the middle. He is expected to have a positive impact on an already talented defensive line, and is expected to start this season.

Ellis recorded 58 tackles and 8 ? sacks during his final season with the Trojans.

Weakness: Perhaps Ellis’ only weaknesses are inexperience and a lack of height in the NFL. Ellis will likely make rookie mistakes – all freshman players do – but Detillier believes those will be few, and he will progress as the season goes on.

• 2nd Round (40th overall) – Tracy Porter, CB (5-foot, 11 inches; 184 pounds) University of Indiana

Strengths: Porter comes to the Saints after a stellar career with the Indiana Hoosiers. The Port Allen native fills a void at cornerback where the Saints consistently struggled throughout last season.

He was the only player in school history to return a punt, interception and fumble for touchdowns. He finished his career with 16 interceptions.

Porter is an excellent athlete with tremendous foot speed who can mirror the ball well, according to Detillier. He plays the ball well and has good hands. His success will depend on how well he picks up on the game. He could come in and see significant playing time at nickel or dime corner. He also makes a good return man, which could increase his role with the Saints.

Weakness: The NFL is a much more physical game. Like most defensive backs, Porter must learn quickly. The learning curve for defensive backs in the NFL is greater because the wide receivers they are going up against are bigger and much more physical. Porter has to understand this, as he often does not run fully in second gear.

• 5th Round (144th overall) – DeMario Pressley, DT (6 feet, 3 inches; 300 pounds) North Carolina State University

Strengths: Pressley was recruited as one of the top defensive tackles coming out of high school. He is very strong against the run.

Pressley explodes off the snap with a great first step. He’s fluid in changing direction and makes plays down the line. He also penetrates the gaps up the field and has the strength and ability to hold the point. Coaches say Pressley has the potential to be a solid athlete. He finished his senior year with 30 tackles and six sacks.

Weakness: Pressley is very inconsistent in his play. He has a tendency to play cold, which Saints defensive line coach Ed Orgeron won’t tolerate. Pressley tends to get tall, making himself an easy target. He was also injury prone in college and never lived up to his recruit status.

• 5th Round (164th overall) – Carl Nicks, T (6 feet, 5 inches; 334 pounds) University of Nebraska

Strengths: A former defensive tackle, Nicks moved to offensive tackle at Nebraska. He’s big, strong and quite athletic for his size. He’s also very good at run blocking and does a decent job of controlling defenders. Nicks displays good ability to move around as he always keeps his feet moving.

Nicks likely could have been a second or third rounder, but off-the-field issues hurt his stock. He was considered the best player on the field while at Nebraska. Detillier said Nicks is the person he is most interested in watching during training camp.

Weakness: He needs to work on pass blocking. Nicks lacks balance and is sometimes awkward in his movements. He tends to find himself on the ground a lot, too. Only played 18 months of major college ball, so he may need a “red shirt” year with the Saints.

• 6th Round (178th overall) – Taylor Mehlhaff, PK, (5 feet, 10 inches; 185 pounds) University of Wisconsin

Strengths: Mehlhaff is consistent, which is key when it comes to kickers. He kicked very well in bad weather games for the Badgers as well, which could benefit the Saints on the road.

Mehlhaff was an All-Conference and All-America selection last season. He connected on 84 percent of his field goals, including a long of 51 yards last season. Mehlhaff is very good on kickoffs and has a very strong leg. He is likely to see play on longer attempts and kickoffs; coach Payton relies on Martin Gramatica as the short-range kicker.

Weakness: Like all the rookies, Mehlhaff is inexperienced. Things change when college players reach the NFL. There is a lot less room for error being a kicker, so it’s up to Mehlhaff to do his job and ensure his spot on the team.

• 7th Round (237th overall) – Adrian Arrington, WR, (6 feet, 3 inches; 203 pounds) University of Michigan

Strengths: Arrington was very impressive in the offseason. He was one of the most highly recruited receivers when he finished high school in Iowa and was well coached at Michigan. He is a good-sized possession wideout with consistent hands, and he uses his frame well to shield opponents. Arrington has a great sense of timing and makes the reception in stride.

Arrington can get vertical to pull down the errant throw and can make the difficult catch in crowds. He displays good focus and concentration and was considered by Detillier as the “MVP” of Michigan’s receiving corps, even ranking over Mario Manningham. He finished last season with 882 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Weakness: Good, but not great speed. Arrington is not as quick off the line as most and needs to grow into his role. He also showed average route-running skills at times last season and often lacks second gear.