Saints Roster Countdown 2014: #43 Vinnie Sunseri and #93 Junior Galette

Coming off of an ACL surgery which cut his junior year short, Vinnie Sunseri was projected to go as late as the seventh round in this year's draft.  Some projected that he might even end up a free agent after the draft.  However, Sean Payton and Rob Ryan must have seen something special in this safety, as they drafted him in the fifth round.

Sunseri has developed a reputation for being a very intelligent leader that's able to read offenses and help orchestrate defenses.  Add his ability to hit hard and skill at attacking the football, and he has a chance at becoming a key figure in Rob Ryan's ever-evolving defensive schemes.

Vinnie was a solid football player from day one.  He played in all 13 games as a true freshman in college.  Serving as a backup safety and special-teams player, he recorded 31 tackles, one pass defense and zero interceptions with one forced fumble.  By 2012, he was Alabama's starting dime back.  Making making eight starts in 14 games, the sophomore logged 54 tackles (6 for a loss), 1.5 sacks, three passes defensed and two interceptions.  As a junior, he began last season by scoring the first two touchdowns of his career on interception returns -- a 38-yard return in the season opener against Virginia Tech, and a 73-yard return of a pick from Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel the following week.  Sunseri would go on to start five more games at safety before suffering a torn ACL on the opening kickoff against Arkansas in October.  He finished the year with 20 tackles, four passes defensed and two interceptions in those seven games.

Throughout his three and a half years of college football, Vinnie Sunseri appeared in 34 games with 15 starts, and posted 105 tackles (67 solo), seven tackles for a loss, 1.4 sacks, four interceptions, eight passes defensed, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.  Despite his torn ACL, which medically excluded him from the NFL Scouting Combine, he declared for the draft, Vinnie believed declaring for the draft after his junior season was the right thing to do.  So far, it seems like the New Orleans Saints agree.

Son of Sal Sunseri, who coached the Carolina Panthers' defense line for seven seasons and now coaches defensive ends at Florida State, Vinnie is no stranger to the requirements of being a top NFL player, including film study.  And reportedly, his discipline and dedication were already showing during rookie minicamp earlier this summer.  He is currently one of seven safeties on the 90-man Saints roster; but if he continues along the track he was on before tearing his ACL in college, this rookie has a real chance of sticking around and making an impact as an NFL defender.

Contract:
4 yr(s) / $2,396,500. Average: $599,125 per year.