The best photos from the 2017 NFL Draft weekend.
New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Friday that the club has signed six of the club's draft picks to four-year contracts: CB Marshon Lattimore, S Marcus Williams, RB Alvin Kamara, LB Alex Anzalone, DE Trey Hendrickson and DE Al-Quadin Muhammad.
Lattimore was the club's first round pick (11th overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. The 6-foot, 192-pound Cleveland, Ohio native appeared in 20 games with 13 starts in two seasons after redshirting his freshman campaign and finished his collegiate career with 46 tackles (34 solo), one stop for a loss, four interceptions and 16 passes defensed. In 2016, Lattimore was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and the top-rated cornerback in the NFL Draft after recording 41 tackles (30 solo), one stop for loss, four interceptions and 13 passes defensed for the College Football Playoff participants.
Williams was the club's second round selection (42nd overall) out of Utah. The Eastvale, Calif. native appeared in 37 contests during his career with 30 starts including 189 stops, eleven interceptions, four tackles for loss, 19 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. In 2016, Williams opened all 11 games he played in and finished with 64 tackles, one tackle for loss, five picks, eight passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two recoveries as he was a second-team Pro Football Focus All-American and second-team All-Pac-12 selection.
Kamara was the Saints' first of three third round selections, picked 67th overall out of Tennessee. The 5-foot-10 inch, 215-pound Norcross, Ga. native played in 24 career games for the Volunteers and rushed 210 times for 1,294 yards (6.2 avg.) with 16 touchdowns, caught 74 passes for 683 yards (9.2-average) with seven TDs and brought back a punt for a score. In his final season in Knoxville in 2016, Kamara appeared in 11 games with seven starts and led Tennessee with a team leading 1,188 all-purpose yards (596 rushing, 392 receiving, 184 punt return, 16 kickoff return) with 13 touchdowns finishing tied for third in the Southeastern Conference in touchdowns and ranked seventh in all-purpose yards.
Anzalone, 6-3, 241, was the Saints' second selection in the third round (76th overall) of the draft out of the University of Florida. Overall at Florida, he appeared in 32 career games with 10 starts and finished his college career with 75 tackles, three sacks, two passes defensed and one fumble recovery. As a senior in 2016, the Wyomissing, Pa. native started the first eight games of the season, seeing the most extensive action of his college career and posting 53 tackles, three sacks, two passes defensed and one fumble recovery for the Gators before suffering a season-ending broken forearm injury.
Hendrickson, was the team's last selection in the third round 9103rd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Florida Atlantic. The Apopka, Fla. native finished with career totals of 130 tackles (73 solo), a school-record 29.5 sacks, 42 stops for loss, eight forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three passes defensed. In 2016, Hendrickson earned All-Conference USA first-team and conference Defensive MVP honors as a senior when he played in all 12 games and recorded 50 tackles, led the team with 9.5 sacks, adding 15 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, two passes defensed and four blocked kicks, which led the nation. In 2015, he played in all 12 games and was named as a first-team All-Conference USA selection as he led the team with a school-record 14.5 sacks, which ranked second in the nation and added 39 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Muhammad, a 6-foot-4 inch, 250 pound Irvington, N.J., native, was selected with the club's sixth round draft pick (196th overall) from the University of Miami. He appeared in 25 games with seven starts over two seasons with the Hurricanes, posting totals of 62 tackles, 10.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defensed. In 2015, Muhammad played in 12 games with seven starts, finishing with 54 tackles, 8.5 for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defensed, leading the Hurricanes in tackles for loss and takedowns. In 2013, he played in 13 games as a reserve defensive lineman and tallied eight tackles with two sacks.