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Jeff Ireland: Just 150 players on slimmed-down Saints draft board

The New Orleans Saints have become one of the most successful teams at scouting and drafting players since Jeff Ireland was hired as director of college scouting back in 2015; his masterful 2017 draft class featured the offensive and defensive rookies of the year between Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore.

However, Ireland’s evaluations and the Saints’ aggressive draft strategy put them in a tricky spot for the 2019 season. They have just six picks to work with, all but one falling in the last three rounds — and that first choice not scheduled until No. 62 overall.

Ireland acknowledged the difficulty of preparing with such limited assets in an interview with New Orleans-area radio station WWL, and hosts Deuce McAllister and Zach Strief.