By Dan Parr
April 26, 2008

Sedrick Ellis

After Glenn Dorsey came off the board, the Saints acted quickly, trading up from the 10th pick to get the Patriots’ seventh choice and filled a major need, drafting former USC DT Sedrick Ellis.

New Orleans’ trade will cost them a valuable pick, but it was a move worth making to nab Ellis, who the Saints and several other clubs had been coveting. The Saints sent New England the 10th pick and 78th pick and received a fifth-rounder (No. 164) in addition to the seventh pick.

It was a major coup — if the Saints had waited and kept the 10th choice, it’s very likely the Bengals would have taken Ellis with the ninth pick. The Saints were said to be discussing a deal with the Rams to get the No. 2 pick and take Dorsey, but the asking price was too steep, killing that potential deal.

Ellis brings a nasty, aggressive demeanor and he doesn’t have the injury concerns that Dorsey carries. While he's pounding interior offensive linemen, it could open things up for New Orleans’ talented tandem of defensive ends, Will Smith and Charles Grant.

For the past two seasons, New Orleans has skated by with a mediocre group of defensive tackles who lacked athleticism and struggled to get any push up the middle on passing downs. Ellis instantly transforms the center of the Saints’ ‘D’ and he should make life much easier for newly acquired MLB Jonathan Vilma.

The Saints’ major challenge this offseason was to grab a few versatile playmakers on defense, which is exactly what they lacked during a painful 7-9 season in 2007. Just over a year removed from a run to the NFC championship game, New Orleans is in the midst of a mini-rebuilding period.

It’s looking like a success after Saturday’s selection of Ellis.