Miami Hurricanes tight end Jimmy Graham said he modeled his approach to college football on his predecessor, New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey.
Now he will get the chance to do the same thing during his professional career.
The Saints selected Graham in the third round of the NFL draft — the 95th overall pick — Friday night, but unlike the team’s second-round pick — Southern California offensive tackle Charles Brown — there was a relationship between Graham and the Saints.
For one thing, he says the Saints are his favorite team. For another, he attended Super Bowl XLIV in a Saints hat and, prior to that remarkable night against the Colts, was a guest at a Super Bowl practice of New Orleans. Afterward, he approached Shockey and introduced himself.
Plucking the player who was clearly the best remaining on draft boards throughout the NFL, the New Orleans Saints chose USC offensive tackle Charles Brown with their second-round pick in the 2010 NFL draft.
Tackle was not a position that seemed a pressing need for the Saints, given they have three signed on their roster and are still negotiating with Jammal Brown. But the Trojans tackle was universally ranked as a first-round talent and thus an easy call, according to Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis.
Looks like there will be some ripples on Lake Pontchartrain tonight.
The New Orleans Saints used the final pick of the first round to draft cornerback Patrick Robinson and that’s just the first splash. Think about it. You don’t use a first-round pick on a cornerback unless you think pretty highly of him.
And you sure don’t draft a cornerback in the first round for the second straight year, unless you think one of them won’t be a cornerback much longer. There’s a reason why the Saints have been letting veteran safety Darren Sharper hang out there as a free agent. The reason just became apparent.
With NFL teams making a late first-round run on the position, the New Orleans Saints picked Florida State cornerback Patrick Robinson with the 32nd and last pick of the round Thursday night.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Seminole defender is scorching fast – he was clocked in 4.38 for the 40-yard dash at Florida State’s pro day – and was rated on most draft boards as a first-round lock on talent, but a borderline first-round pick because of some questions about his consistency.
He was the third cornerback taken in the last six picks of the first round as the NFL moved that marquee event to prime time for the first time. With the pick, the Saints now went with cornerbacks in the first round in back-to-back drafts after choosing Malcolm Jenkins in 2009.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will be on hand in New York City tonight to announce the Saints’ first-round draft pick – the first time a player has ever done so.
Brees was invited to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the NFL draft. He was voted by fans as one of the top 75 draft picks of all time (finishing No. 21 in the rankings).
Also, it’s especially fitting that Brees will be announcing the No. 32 pick, since he himself was selected No. 32 overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2001 draft. That year, he was the first pick in the second round.
EA Sports made the official announcement this morning that New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been chosen by fans to be featured on the cover of the Madden NFL 11 video game, set to hit retail shelves on Tuesday, Aug. 10.
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