As important as it is to examine the draft of the Atlanta Falcons, so too is it vital to look around the rest of the NFC South to see how the other team improved.
Today we start with the New Orleans Saints, who between trading their 1st round pick in 2011 for Mark Ingram, and losing their 2nd round selection due to the bounty scandal- they didn't have a lot to work with. Entering the draft the Saints really needed to bolster the defensive side of the ball, particularly their defensive line, and needed to plan for the future at WR to find a replacement for Robert Meachem who left via free agency.
Akiem Hicks, DT, Regina
Proving they're not resigned to looking for talent close to home the Saints went to the great white North to find Akiem Hicks out of Regina, Canada. Hicks was a unique situation because he was recruited heavily by LSU, but reported recruiting violations to the NCAA himself, and as such made him ineligible. He finished the season in Canada with 42 tackles and 6.5 sacks, but there are serious questions about the level of competition he faces. Most scouts pegged him as a 5th round pick. The Saints will bank on him being closer to his impressive Shrine game performance, than his college career.