All the experts and draft watchers tell us, “You got to wait 2 or 3 years before you can really grade a draft.” That’s usually true, although we knew quickly the 2017 New Orleans Saints draft was amazing and the 2014 one was a disaster besides Brandin Cooks, although Stanley Jean-Baptiste will live in our hearts forever because his name sounded like he led a pirate ship.
While the New Orleans Saints 2017 draft is rightly called the greatest draft in team history, the 2016 draft has turned into something quietly special that’s more than just Michael Thomas. The Saints 2016 draft delivered 4 guys all playing almost 60 percent of the time.
Michael Thomas is a touchdown scoring, cellphone celebrating star receiver. The guy has played 2.5 years and is already tenth in Saints history in yards receiving AND receptions. If he continues this pace, after 5 years he’ll be second in catches and third in yards. Yogi Berra once said, “It’s hard to make predictions, especially about the future”, but if Drew Brees sticks around awhile and Thomas remains healthy, the Saints receiving record book will be Michael Thomas’ personal scrap book.
The 2016 draft also gave the Saints Sheldon Rankins. Rankins missed half his rookie season with a broken leg but finished strong. There were expectations that he’d be a breakout candidate in 2017 and although he didn’t quite put up the headline grabbing stats, he did play all along the defensive line and helped fill in out of position when Alex Okafor went down mid-way through the year.
In 2018 Rankins has blossomed into a destructive defensive tackle with the best sack dance in the NFL. Is the shoulder shimmy not fantastic? Sheldon is making it a weekly occurrence where he humiliates some poor guard on the opposing offense. He’s on pace for 9 sacks, which for a defensive tackle means pro bowls and 100 million-dollar contracts. That’s a great pick, but getting a potential double-digit sack defensive tackle at 12? Homerun.
The Saints other 2 picks from the 2016 draft still on the roster are contributing as well. Safety Vonn Bell has started 4 games in 2018 and played 67 percent of the defensive snaps. The Saints traded back into the second round in 2016 to get him, so I’m not quite sure he’s delivered what they hoped, but 2.5 years in he’s playing, and he did seal the playoff win against the Carolina Panthers with a sack of Cam Newton. That alone = success on the Ralph draft grade scale.
The other player from the 2016 draft contributing is defensive tackle David Onyemata. He’s started 4 times in 2018 and played 59 percent of the plays. I’ll admit I’m a David Onyemata ‘Stan’ as the kids like to say. I thought this was going to be his year to break out. He’s flashed the potential but hasn’t delivered the promise of all his physical gifts. The thing is, if you pick a guy in the fourth round and 2.5 years later, he’s playing 59 percent of the time, that’s a win. The Saints 2018 fourth round pick Rick Leonard got cut and is currently on the practice squad.
If you told any NFL team that they’d get 1 star, 1 potential star, and 2 contributors from any draft, they’d take it no questions asked.
The 2017 Saints draft gets the hype, but the 2016 draft is turning out to be pretty damn good too.
Saints Fan Mood and Meditation Music: Pat Benatar – Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Who is up for some fine 1980’s music to get us ready for Sunday? I love me some Pat Benatar. The Philadelphia Eagles season is on the line and we’ll see if Saints can handle the champs’ desperation.
The Games
Last week: 4-1
Season: 28-16
Philadelphia (+8) at New Orleans: This line is ridiculous. I don’t care that Philly is 4-5, 8 points against that team and that offense is way too high. The Eagles are only 21st in scoring at 22 points-per-game, but they have Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery, Golden Tate and Nelson Agholor to give the Saints secondary fits. Ertz is basically Rob Gronkowski now. He’s on pace to break every tight end single season record and Golden Tate might be Top 5 all time ‘Saints Killers’ of last 10 years and he’s not even in the NFC South.
This is a terrible matchup for the Saints and throw in the Eagles desperation and this feels like a loss coming. The Saints haven’t lost since Week 1, and they haven’t even played even average since Week 2, when they nearly lost to the Cleveland Browns. The Saints can’t go 15-1 can they?
Eagles 34-27
New York Giants (-1.5) vs Tampa Bay: We are officially on Dirk Koetter employment watch.
Giants 28-23
Dallas (+3) at Atlanta: It’s ‘Loser’s Playoff Dreams Are Dead’ game. Let’s hope Falcons lose in heartbreaking fashion.
Cowboys 23-20
Houston (-3) vs Washington: I don’t believe either of these teams are good and yet one of them is probably going to have a division wrapped up by December 1st.
Texans 35-25
Chicago (-3) vs Minnesota: Bears are good y’all.
Bears 27-20
Ralph Malbrough is a Saints fan living in Houston. Email him at saintshappyhour@gmail.com, find him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SaintsForecast or download his podcast at Itunes