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Day two of the 2011 NFL Draft is now officially in the books and let's be honest, if I had told you last week that the Saints would draft Cameron Jordan and Mark Ingram and Martez Wilson you would probably have told me I was bat poop crazy after catching your breath from the uncontrollable laughter. But the joke would be on you because that's exactly the rabbit Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis, Rick Reiprish and company have managed to pull out of their hat thus far in this years draft.
With no pick in the second round, the Saints followed up Thursday night's masterful drafting performance with more draft thievery last night when they were able to pick up Illinois linebacker Martez Wilson with the 72nd overall pick in the third round. That's right, the Saints nabbed a linebacker, who many projected to be taken in the first round, on the second day of the draft. Winning! I hope current Saints linebacker Scott Shanle packed an extra sandwich in his lunch pail because the competition for a starting roster spot just got a little stiffer.
Defense was the theme of the night as the Saints then settled on Louisville cornerback Johnny Patrick later in the third round with the 88th overall pick. Cornerback isn't necessarily an immediate need for the Saints defense and Patrick's skill set isn't as well known, so this selection finally brought two days of fan euphoria back down to earth a bit. Given the front office's brilliant maneuvering through their first three draft picks of the year, however, I think we should all give the kid a chance.
Below is a recap of the Saints 2011 NFL draft class thus far, including their grades, as voted by you guys. Click the letter grade to see the poll results.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Grade |
| 1 | 24th | Cameron Jordan | DE | California | A |
| 1 | 28th | Mark Ingram | RB | Alabama | A |
| 3 | 72nd | Martez Wilson | LB | Illinois | A |
| 3 | 88th | Johnny Patrick | CB | Louisville | B |
The question today is: what should the Saints do on the final day of the draft? With only two picks remaining, both later in the 7th round, what needs remain to be addressed? Will they make a move and trade up to get someone special?
Be here later for our final open thread of the 2011 NFL Draft, opening at 11am CT.