The New Orleans Saints completed their activity in the 2010 NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon when they selected QB Sean Canfield out of Oregon State in the seventh round with the 239th selection overall.
Canfield has prototypical NFL size and release and succeeds in reading coverages and making pre-snap reads. The left-handed signal-caller has enough of an arm to make most of the throws needed in the NFL.
The choice of the 6-3 1/2 , 222 pound Canfield was the Saints' final pick in the draft, which began on Thursday night and witnessed the Super Bowl champions taking Florida State CB Patrick Robinson. The Saints followed that selection up on Friday by selecting Southern California LT Charles Brown with the 64th pick overall. Day two concluded with the Saints tabbing athletically gifted tight end Jimmy Graham with the 95th pick overall (third down) out of the University of Miami.
Day three started with the Saints moving up in the fourth round and taking a local product: LSU defensive tackle Al Woods with the 123rd draft choice (fourth round). The Saints then traded a 2011 fourth round draft choice in order to move back into the draft in the fifth round and selected Boston College center Matt Tennant. Many draft publications had Tennant as one of the top two or three centers in the country.
"Overall I think we feel very good about the draft," said Head Coach Sean Payton. "Where you are picking in the seventh round, he was a player we liked with his accuracy and decision making."
"I think we wanted to go into the draft being flexible and I think we did that," Payton said. "Overall we feel good about this and are looking forward to seeing them in a few weeks time. We are talking to some free agents and will continue to do that and see what we are able to get done."
Payton mentioned that the team didn't draft a linebacker or a running back, but indicated that the team may take some action to address filling some roster spots at those positions.
The Saints' rookies will be arriving in just less than two weeks time for their inaugural mini-camp just for rookies, first-year players and selected players that will be invited on a "try-out" basis.
