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Perspective on what the Saints lose without a second-round pick

Last year, New Orleans used their second-rounder in the trade to move up and select Alabama running back Mark Ingram in the first round.

By Mark Craig

April 11, 2012 at 11:26AM

Before @StribDW (BTW, Darrell Waltrip will always be the first DW I think of) and I turn the page to Round 3 in our preview/review of Rounds 2-7, I thought I'd toss out some perspective on what the Saints are losing out on by having their second-round picks this year (59th overall) and next year taken from them as part of their punishment in the bounty scandal (perhaps you've heard about that a few million times).

Here's what the Saints have done with their second-round picks since Sean Payton was hired in 2006:

2011: They traded the 56th overall pick and their first-round pick in 2012 to the Patriots to take Alabama running back Mark Ingram 28th overall.

2010: Selected USC OT Charles Brown.

2009: Traded the 45th overall pick and a fifth-rounder to the Giants for Jeremy Shockey.

2008: Selected CB Tracy Porter 40th overall.

2007: Traded the pick to Detroit for a third-round pick (Usama Young) and a fifth-rounder (David Jonesto).

2006: Selected safety Roman Harper 43rd overall.

So while they weren't docked a first-rounder, the Saints lose a valuable pick that could have produced solid starters such as Harper and Porter or been used to make a splash move like acquiring an Ingram or a Shockey.

about the writer

Mark Craig

Sports reporter

Mark Craig has covered the NFL nearly every year since Brett Favre was a rookie back in 1991. A sports writer since 1987, he is covering his 30th NFL season out of 37 years with the Canton (Ohio) Repository (1987-99) and the Star Tribune (1999-present).