Going back over the past decade, below is a look at the players who have been selected in the positions currently held by the Saints (24, 56, 72, 88, 226, 243) in the 2011 NFL Draft.
ROUND ONE
24: Over the last ten drafts, cornerbacks, running backs and safeties have each been selected two times apiece...Jackson, Johnson, Meriweather and Reed have gone on to earn multiple Pro Bowl selections, while Clark and Rodgers has gone to the All-Star game once and both have led their respective teams to Super Bowl XLI and XLV Championships...Jackson, Johnson, Reed and Rodgers have been the most productive players of the group. In only three seasons, Johnson's carried 925 times for 4598 yards with 34 touchdowns and has 137 receptions for 1,008 yards with four scoring catches. In 2009, the three-time Pro Bowler was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year as he broke Marshall Faulk's record of total yards from scrimmage with 2,509...Bryant served as Dallas' third wideout in his rookie season and finished with 45 receptions for 561 yards with six touchdowns, finishing among league rookie leaders in all receiving categories, while also providing a spark on punt returns with two runbacks for touchdowns...Rodgers took over the starting reigns from Brett Favre in 2008 and has acquitted himself well in Green Bay, as the only player in NFL history to have had 4,000 passing yards in each of his first two starting seasons, while leading the Packers to the Super Bowl XLV Championship in 2010....Jackson is a three-time Pro Bowl selection, who is the Rams' all-time leading rusher, having surpassed 1,000 yards in six consecutive seasons, leading the NFL with 2,334 total yards from scrimmage in 2006, 10,618 in his career...Clark has been one of the NFL's top pass-catching tight ends for the Colts since coming into the NFL in 2003....Joseph has picked off 14 passes and has four interception/fumble returns for touchdowns for Cincinnati...Meriweather has been selected to two consecutive Pro Bowls with the Patriots...Reed is one of the most dynamic defensive players of all-time, having been selected to the Pro Bowl seven times and being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. This Destrehan native is a member of the NFL's 2000's All-Decade Team and has 54 career interceptions, including an NFL-best eight in 2010 in only ten games...Middlebrooks played in the NFL from 2001-05 as a backup defender and now plays for the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts. Nine of the last ten players selected with the 24th pick are still in the NFL.
2010: WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State to Dallas Cowboys
2009: DT Peria Jerry, Mississippi to Atlanta Falcons
2008: RB Chris Johnson, East Carolina to Tennessee
2007: S Brandon Meriweather, Miami (Fla.) to New England
2006: CB Jonathan Joseph, South Carolina to Cincinnati
2005: QB Aaron Rodgers, California to Green Bay Packers
2004: RB Steven Jackson, Oregon State to St. Louis Rams
2003: TE Dallas Clark, Iowa to Indianapolis Colts
2002: S Ed Reed, Miami (Fla.) to Baltimore Ravens
2001: CB Willie Middlebrooks, Minnesota to Denver
ROUND TWO
56: Over the last ten drafts, three defensive ends have been chosen from the 56th spot...Umenyiora has gone on to be a two-time Pro Bowl selection...Moala moved into the starting lineup at defensive tackle for the Colts in 2010...Brohm is currently Buffalo's backup QB...Crowder moved into the starting lineup at left defensive end for Tampa Bay in 2010...Chester has found a home at right guard for Baltimore, one of the NFL's top run offenses...Darrent Williams was one of the league's bright young up-and-comers at corner from 2005-06 before being the unfortunate victim of a shooting in 2007...Madieu Williams has appeared in 88 games with 83 starts for Cincinnati and Minnesota and posted 12 interceptions, four forced fumbles and four recoveries since coming into the NFL..Umenyiora is a fierce pass rusher who has posted 60 sacks since 2003 and whose 28 forced fumbles in that period is tied for fourth in the NFL...Betts has over 5,000 total yards from scrimmage in his career with Washington and New Orleans...Eight of the last ten players selected with the 56th pick overall are still playing in the NFL.
2010: DE Mike Neal, Purdue. to Green Bay Packers
2009: DT Fili Moala, Southern California to Indianapolis
2008: QB Brian Brohm, Louisville to Green Bay Packers
2007: DE Tim Crowder, Texas to Denver Broncos
2006: C Chris Chester, Oklahoma to Baltimore Ravens
2005: CB Darrent Williams, Oklahoma State to Denver
2004: S Madieu Williams, Maryland to Cincinnati Bengals
2003: DE Osi Umenyiora, Troy to New York Giants
2002: RB Ladell Betts, Iowa to Washington Redskins
2001: S Tony Dixon, Alabama to Dallas Cowboys
ROUND THREE
72: Over the last ten drafts, cornerbacks have been selected most frequently (three times), followed by linebackers (two) and defensive tackles (two)...Carrington moved into Buffalo's defensive line rotation as the season progressed and is expected to compete for a starting spot in 2011...After being named to several all-rookie teams in 2009, Knighton continued to clog the middle of the Jaguars line and his four sacks in 2010 ranked fifth among AFC defensive tackles...McCauley spent part of the 2009 season in New Orleans...Pope has appeared in 71 games with 39 starts for Arizona and Kansas City and has 78 catches for 726 yards and eight touchdowns..Manuwai is a veteran left guard who has started 105 of 110 games for Jacksonville, blocking for one of the NFL's top run offenses...Williams played in the NFL for two seasons with the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns...Marshall contributed on defense and special teams in Green Bay for four seasons. Five of the last ten players selected with the 95th pick overall are still playing in the NFL.
2010: DE Alex Carrington, Arkansas State to Buffalo Bills
2009: DT Terrance Knighton, Temple to Jacksonville
2008: LB Chris Ellis, Virginia Tech to Pittsburgh Steelers
2007: CB Marcus McCauley, Fresno State to Minnesota
2006: TE Leonard Pope, Georgia to Kansas City Chiefs
2005: CB Stanley Wilson, Stanford to Detroit Lions
2004: DT Donnell Washington, Clemson to Green Bay
2003: G Vince Manuwai, Hawaii to Jacksonville Jaguars
2002: CB Roosevelt Williams, Tuskegee to Chicago Bears
2001: LB Torrance Marshall, Oklahoma to Green Bay
88: Over the last ten drafts, defensive ends and linebackers have been selected two times apiece from the 88th selection slot..Roberts made a significant impact both as in the passing game and return game as a rookie in 2010...Webb has shown promise as a defender and kickoff and punt returner after his college career in the Thibodaux bayou...Davis played for the Raiders in 2010...Alleman spent the 2007 season with the Saints and started seven games for Miami and Kansas City from 2008-09...Anderson became a starter at the strongside position for the Panthers in 2010 and posted a career-best 154 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception...Pouha has been the starting nose tackle the past two seasons for one of the league's top run-stopping units with the Jets...Scott has been an effective rotational player for the Vikings and Redskins..Ragone started two games for the Texans in 2003...Baker has played for the Jets, Patriots and Seahawks in his nine-year career, appearing in 130 games with 71 starts and recording 168 catches for 1,763 yards and 15 touchdowns...Greenwood was a starter for eight seasons in the NFL with Miami and Houston and posted 775 tackles, seven sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Seven of the last ten players selected with the 88th pick overall are still playing in the NFL.
2010: WR Andre Roberts, The Citadel to Arizona Cardinals
2009: CB Lardarius Webb, Nicholls State to Baltimore
2008: DE Bruce Davis, UCLA to Pittsburgh Steelers
2007: G Andy Alleman, Akron to New Orleans Saints
2006: LB James Anderson, Virginia Tech to Carolina
2005: DT Sione Pouha, Utah to New York Jets
2004: DE Darrion Scott, Ohio State to Minnesota
2003: QB Dave Ragone, Louisville to Houston Texans
2002: TE Chris Baker, Michigan State to New York Jets
2001: LB Morlon Greenwood, Syracuse to Miami
ROUND SEVEN
226: The 226th pick has churned out several key contributors over the last decade...Four defensive linemen have been selected in the slot..In situation duty on the St. Louis line rotation, Selvie had 20 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a rookie...Shipley has spent the last two seasons on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles practice squads...Schilens has shown promise as a wideout for the Oakland Raiders in limited duty...Wilson has contributed on defense and special teams for four seasons for the Carolina Panthers...Wright was a starting defensive tackle for the Dolphins in 2007...McCoy spent part of three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers...Young appeared in nine games for Carolina and Pittsburgh...Jones spent parts of three seasons with the Giants and Chicago...Flemons spent parts of three seasons with the Atalnta Falcons and Miami Dolphins before heading north of the border where he has enjoyed a successful career in the Canadian Football Legaue...Four of the ten players listed below are still in the NFL.
2010: DE George Selvie, South Florida to St. Louis
2009: C A.Q Shipley, Penn State to Pittsburgh Steelers
2008: WR Chaz Schilens, San Diego State to Oakland
2007: S C.J. Wilson, Baylor to Carolina
2006: DL Rodrique White, Texas to Miami Dolphins
2005: WR LeRon McCoy, Indiana (Pa.) to Arizona
2004: DT Christian Ferrara, Syracuse to San Francisco
2003:WR Walter Young, Illinois to Carolina Panthers
2002: WR Daryl Jones, Miami (Fl.) to New York Giants
2001: DE Ronald Flemons, Texas A&M to Atlanta Falcons
243: The 243rd pick has featured two defensive tackles and two players that now handle long-snapping duties for their teams...Owens saw limited action as a rookie in 2010...Harris has handled long snapping duties for Cincinnati since 2009...Palmer spent the 2006 and 2007 seasons with Green Bay...Furio spent part of the 2004 and 2005 seasons with the Eagles...Kelly had a three-year NFL career with New England and Cleveland...Massey has handled long snapping duties in 135 games for the Rams since 2002...Sands enjoyed a nine-year NFL career and enjoyed a productive six-year tenure in Oakland as a run-stopping tackle...Five of these players are still active in the NFL.
2010: DT Jeff Owens, Georgia to Philadelphia Eagles
2009: WR Marko Mitchell, Nevada to Washington
2008: LB Joey LaRocque, Oregon State to New York Jets
2007: TE Clark Harris, Rutgers to Green Bay Packers
2006: G Tony Palmer, Missouri to St. Louis Rams
2005: RB Anthony Davis, Wisconson to Indianapolis Colts
2004: C Dominic Furio, Nevada-Las Vegas to Philadelphia
2003: DT Ethan Kelley, Baylor to New England Patriots
2002: FB Chris Massey, Marshall to St. Louis Rams
2001: DT Terdell Sands, Chattanooga to Kansas City
