MVN - Most Valuable Network

Ellis will look good in Black-and-Gold

If the Giants hadn’t repeatedly put Tom Brady on his ass in the process of winning Super Bowl 41, Sedrick Ellis would probably not be a Saint.

But because the NFL is a league of trends, and because a strong defensive line is what made the Giants champions and set the current trend, the Saints went with Ellis.

I haven’t seen Ellis play a single snap of football in my life, so I can’t really judge if he’s any good or not.  But judging from what people who have seen him play say, this guy is a monster. 

But should the Saints have taken the second best defensive lineman on the board over the No. 1 rated cornerback?  I think so.  Many people would argue that any other year besides this one, Ellis would have been the best defensive lineman in the draft.  I’ve heard him referred to as the 1a. to Glenn Dorsey’s 1.  That’s encouraging to hear because in my opinon, Glenn Dorsey is one of the most dominant interior defensive lineman to every play in the SEC. 

If Ellis is near Dorsey’s level, the Saints have found themselves a keeper. 

I think it’s a smart move to go with defensive line over cornerback at that spot.  When you think about it, no cornerback is any good if the opposing quarterback has all the time in the world to throw around him.  Defense starts and ends with the defensive line, and a quality interior lineman is vital to rushing the pass and stopping the run.

Another thing I like about Ellis coming to New Orleans is his relationship with Ed Orgeron, the Saints defensive line coach.  Orgeron recruited and coached Ellis during his time at USC.  Now he’s Ellis’ coach on the pro level, which is good for the rookie because he’ll have a familiar face to talk to in the early stages.  The sooner Ellis becomes comfortable in the Black-and-Gold, the sooner he’ll be able to get on the field and start blowing people up.   Orgeron will help Ellis make a smooth transition. 

So for the first time in a while, I’m not left scratching my head in confusion after the Saints made their first-round selection.  Ellis was the best available player on the board and he may soon be the best defensive lineman on the team.             

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2008 at 7:43 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.