METAIRIE
Authentic Mason Rudolph Jersey , La. (AP) The New Orleans Saints moved decisively to ramp up their pass rush in the NFL draft with a trade that
indicates how close they believe they are to contending for a Super Bowl
now.
The Saints selected Texas-San Antonio defensive end Marcus Davenport 14th overall on Thursday night after a trade that sent Green Bay this year’s 27th and
147th overall picks, along with next year’s first rounder.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Davenport fills what coach Sean Payton termed an offseason ”must.”
Article continues below ... ”One of the offseason targets was a pressure player. We have to feel like he can affect the quarterback,” Payton said. ”In our league, there’s a premium on a
few different position and one of them is that.”
Davenport was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year for UTSA last season after making 8 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He was credited with eight
quarterback hurries, forced three fumbles, had a fumble recovery and batted four
passes.
”Batted passes would tell me he’s someone instinctive,” Payton said. ”I know length is important in that, but (also his ability to) rush with vision and
anticipate a ball being thrown.
”You see disruption when you see him play – a lot.”
Payton said Davenport not only had the physical attributes the Saints sought in a defensive end, but also struck them as someone who was bright
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good way.”
”There’s a passion you feel like, when you’re around him, about the game and we’re searching for people that are in the passion business,” Payton said.
Davenport, who is from San Antonio and attended the draft in Dallas, spoke with New Orleans media on a conference call. He described his approach to
football as ”prideful,” and his personality and ”calm” and ”methodical.”
Still, Davenport said he was struggling to believe he’d been drafted as high as he was. He said he was pleased to be moving to New Orleans, where his father
grew up and which remains home to many relatives. His college coach, Frank
Wilson
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”It was just a surreal moment,” Davenport said, adding that he ”didn’t know at all” that New Orleans had him in mind when he first saw the Saints had traded
up to 14th.
He said his father shouted and began to cry when New Orleans called his name.
”It’s a great feeling, but it just means now I’ve got to get to work.”
New Orleans’ pass rush improved in 2017, largely because defensive end Cameron Jordan turned in his first All-Pro season, highlighted by his 13 sacks,
17 tackles for loss, 28 quarterback hits, 11 batted passes and an interception
for a touchdown. In order to get more out of Jordan, New Orleans needs to make
opposing offenses pay for throwing too many blockers at him.
Alex Okafor
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He will be back, but the success of his rehabilitation from such a significant
injury remains to be seen. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who’ll be in his
second NFL season, showed promise as a rookie, but was limited by injuries much
of the season and remains largely unproven.
The Saints ranked 17th in the NFL in defense last season, giving up 336.5 yards per game. Their offense, by contrast, ranked second.
Davenport, 21
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his senior season, after which he became the first UTSA Roadrunner to be invited
to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and the second to participate in the NFL
scouting combine.
Now he’ll join a franchise that has its sights set on Super Bowl contention after falling just seconds short of advancing to last season’s NFL championship
game.
”I want to shoot big. I want a Super Bowl,” Davenport said. ”I just want to be able to be an impact player.”
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