New Orleans Saints 2014 NFL Draft Review

Published February 05, 2015

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1 (20) - Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State; 2 (58) Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, Nebraska; 4 (126) Khairi Fortt, ILB, California; 5 (167) - Vinny Sunseri, SS, Alabama; 5 (169) - Ronald Powell, OLB, Florida; 6 (202) - Tavon Rooks, OT, Kansas State

Top Picks Analysis: You gotta keep the franchise happy and the New Orleans Saints did exactly that by trading up to draft dynamic Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who some have compared to ex-Carolina star Steve Smith, in the first round.

Cooks is undersized but he's got explosive speed and should fit in nicely as the replacement for the departed Lance Moore.

Lengthy cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste was the Saints' other premium pick and he should push the aging Champ Bailey pretty quickly as the potential starter opposite Keenan Lewis.

Best Value Pick: Fourth-round linebacker Khairi Fortt transferred to Cal from Penn State after the Jerry Sandusky-scandal so he might have been off-the- radar for some but he's a speedy, athletic player, who could be a solid fit for a Rob Ryan defense.

Questionable Calls: Fifth-round safety Vinny Sunseri didn't have great speed to begin with and he tore his ACL late last season so he might not have the baseline skills you need to play safety in this league.

Summary: Working with Drew Brees should only help Cooks hit the ground running in the NFL while Jean-Baptiste is the type of big cornerback en vogue right now. The depth, though, just wasn't there for NOLA in this draft.

FINAL GRADE: B-

Undrafted rookie free agent signings: S Ty Zimmerman, Kansas State; S Pierre Warren, Jacksonville State; RB Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State; WR JeRon Hamm, Louisiana Monroe; QB Logan Kilgore, Middle Tennessee State; DL George Uko, New Orleans; LB Spencer Hadley, BYU; WR Brandon Coleman, Rutgers; CB Brian Dixon, Northwest Missouri State; C Matt Armstrong, Grand Valley State; WR Sentavius Jones, Valdosta State; DT Micajah Reynolds, Michigan State; LB Trashaun Nixon, New Mexico State; DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe, Colorado; K Sergio Castillo, West Texas A&M; DE Kasim Edebali, Boston College; DE Lawrence Virgil, Valdosta State

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