Initially standout cornerback
Tracy Porter’s potential was somewhat overshadowed by the NFL future of wideout James Hardy, who was a touchdown machine for the Hoosiers this year. Yesterday, however, the relatively under-the-radar Porter was drafted by the New Orleans Saints while Hardy (and a slew of other receivers) was still on the board. Now the cornerback has a big chance to make people remember that more than one great player from IU has a chance to become a star in the NFL.
Porter was drafted 40th overall in the NFL Draft
Although Hardy is going into an excellent situation in Buffalo, adding size and a red-zone threat to a vertically-challenged but extremely skilled receiving corps, Porter was arguably drafted into a better situation. The Saints suffered through a 7-9 season and were terrible on defense, allowed 348.1 yards and 24.3 points per game, good for 26th and 25th in the NFL, respectively.
Despite the abysmal defense, however, the Saints are still not far from their Super Bowl contender status from two years ago,thanks to a potent offense. Looking to burst back onto the Super Bowl scene, they addressed several defensive needs this off-season. In addition to Porter, the Saints added defensive end Bobby McCray, linebackers Dan Morgan and Jonathan Vilma, and cornerbacks Aaron Glenn and Randall Gay, and moved up to draft a top-notch defensive tackle in USC’s Sedrick Ellis in the first round. The Saints hope that this infusion of talent and depth will help turn the defense in the right direction.
If these additions pan out, the Saints defense could go from nothing to something, and Porter could play a significant part in it. Although the Saints have eight cornerbacks currently on the roster, including Jason David, Gay, and the aging Mike McKenzie, Porter’s coverage skills should make him an immediate impact player, at least on passing downs. If the established secondary continues to struggle as it has in the past, Porter could find himself climbing the depth chart quite rapidly, and could very possibly earn a starting spot on the field.
To make things even better for Porter, his new team’s home field is mere miles from his hometown of Port Allen, LA. He grew up cheering for the Saints, and now he has a chance to return home and play for them. Combine the fact that he gets a chance to take a good team to a championship-level and the homecoming aspect of the new job, the situation couldn’t be much better for the talented defensive back. It’s no surprise that he could barely contain his elation in an
interview with NewOrleansSaints.com:
“Words cannot express how I am doing right now. I’m great!” He said.
Discuss Porter's NFL future in the forums.
Related links:
http://iuplanet.com/forum/iuplanet-h...1st-bills.html
http://iuplanet.com/forum/iuplanet-h...draft-day.html
http://iuplanet.com/forum/iuplanet-h...eaknesses.html
New Orleans Saints - Saints 2nd Rd CB Tracy Porter Talks About Coming Home
It's wait-and-see for Saints defense- NOLA.com
2008 NFL Draft: Saints Select Sedrick Ellis and - RSSMicro Search
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