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New Orleans Saints fans were treated to an exciting first round of the 2011 NFL Draft when Sean Payton and company stole California defensive end Cameron Jordan with the 24th overall pick then traded with the New England Patriots back into the first round to snag another player they desperately wanted, Heisman-winning running back Mark Ingram, with the 28th overall selection.
Call me biased but compared to all the other teams in the league, I'd say the Saints had the best first round performance of the 2011 NFL Draft. Charlie Sheen could say only one thing about the Saints draft thus far: Winning! Based on last night's reaction here on Canal Street Chronicles and across the internet, I'd say I'm not alone in my opinion. Nearly 80% of you gave each of the Saints draft picks an A.
And for good reason. Cameron Jordan was projected by almost all draft analysts to be taken much earlier than 24th overall. Thanks to a lot of teams going with offense early in the round the Saints were sitting pretty by the time they were on the clock and had their choice of quality defensive players. Mark Ingram, on the other hand, is without a doubt the best running back in this years draft class. With defensive line and running back both being serious needs for the Saints this off-season, how could anyone argue with the results?
The only question that does remain is: which Saints draft pick is better? Are you overcome with Cameron Craziness or are you more of an Ingramaniac? Who will have more of an impact for the team both early on and over the course of their career? Talk it out and cast your vote below.
Canal Street Chronicles will be having a live open thread for Rounds Two and Three of the draft starting at 5 pm CT as well as plenty of post-draft coverage.
The second and third rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft start at 5 p.m. (CT) on Friday, April 29th and SB Nation has everything you need to prepare for it - NFL mock drafts, draft projections, scouting reports, the full NFL draft schedule and more. Check it all out at SB Nation's NFL Hub and our NFL Draft blog Mocking the Draft.