<span>Following Head Coach Sean Payton's desire to create top-flight competition at every spot on the team's roster, the New Orleans Saints traded up into the fifth round to pick Thomas Morstead, a punter from Southern Methodist.  

Details of the trade with the Eagles included this year's seventh round pick and a fifth round pick in 2010.

Payton stated that the punter position was one the team had identified as a need going into the draft and a position the team was actively looking to add competition to, despite the impressive play of Adrian Arrington/Glenn Pakulak.aspx">Glenn Pakulak over the course of the final six games of the 2008 season after he was signed as a free agent.

"He (Morestead) has a strong leg, we think the best leg in the draft," Payton said. "We think we've got a very good punter and the objective is to improve ourselves at that position. We think it's going to be a very good competition with Glenn."

Morstead averaged 41.8 yards per punt with the Mustangs last season and pinned opponents inside the 20 yard line 20 times. He has also handled kicking duties the past three seasons, but Payton indicated initially he would like Morestead to focus on punting.

"In talking about Glenn, he did a good job for us in a tough situation," Payton said. "We're not handing the job over to this college player, but we're looking forward to good competition."