Draft Scout Snapshot: A closer look at the Saints' picks: Round 1/15 -- Kenny Vaccaro, S, 6-0, 214, Texas...Even though they wanted a playmaking outside linebacker, the Saints didn't mind when the versatile Vaccaro slipped to them at No. 15. He'll likely get a shot at playing time in the secondary early. QUOTE TO NOTE: "I felt if he was available, we would be getting an awfully good defensive player to help our team. He's got that toughness and that suddenness you would like at that position (safety). He brings a physical dimension to his game which can see when you look at the tape." -- Saints coach Sean Payton, on first-round draft pick Kenny Vaccaro. - The Sports Xchange
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04/28/13 - A closer look at the Saints' picks: Round 1/15 -- Kenny Vaccaro, S, 6-0, 214, Texas...Even though they wanted a playmaking outside linebacker, the Saints didn't mind when the versatile Vaccaro slipped to them at No. 15. He'll likely get a shot at playing time in the secondary early. QUOTE TO NOTE: "I felt if he was available, we would be getting an awfully good defensive player to help our team. He's got that toughness and that suddenness you would like at that position (safety). He brings a physical dimension to his game which can see when you look at the tape." -- Saints coach Sean Payton, on first-round draft pick Kenny Vaccaro. - The Sports Xchange
04/28/13 - Saints upgrade defense at safety...If the Saints weren't going to get one of the top left tackles in the draft, which was clearly a position of need after losing two-time Pro Bowl pick Jermon Bushrod, they had to get a defensive player who can come in and be a force early. Going into the draft on Thursday night, the Saints figured that the top three tackles -- Eric Fisher, Luke Joeckel and Lane Johnson -- would be long gone when they went on the clock with the 15th overall pick of the first round.
The next-best thing to happen, however, was that they, along with tackle D.J. Fluker, would push down some of the top-rated defensive players on the draft board to them hoping that one of them will help cure what ailed them in 2012.
While they didn't get a pass-rushing linebacker to plug into their new 3-4 alignment, the Saints think they got a player who can provide some help at a number of positions when they picked up Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro. - The Sports Xchange
04/28/13 - After giving up yards at a dizzying pace, Saints coach Sean Payton was looking for a playmaker on that side of the ball even after signing two key players in free agency -- cornerback Keenan Lewis and outside linebacker Victor Butler. And in choosing the 6-0, 214-pound Vaccaro, the Saints added yet another player to help shore up a defense that set an NFL single-season record in allowing 7,042 total yards -- which led Payton to scrap the old 4-3 and bring in Rob Ryan as his defensive coordinator.
One of the things that made Vaccaro so attractive to the Saints was his versatility after starting games at both safety spots as well as strong-side linebacker and middle linebacker.
"He's got versatility," Payton said. "I think when you watch him play and study game tape, he plays a lot of nickel because of the amount of spread offenses they saw in their league last year. So there were a lot of snaps where he's playing down in the paint with two safeties behind him." "I think I'm real versatile and can do a lot of different things," said Vaccaro. "I don't have any limitations, I can cover and run-support, so I can bring that to the team." - The Sports Xchange
04/28/13 - Payton said the Saints will give Vaccaro a chance to compete with free safety Malcolm Jenkins and strong safety Roman Harper for playing time. Harper has been a starter for the last six years and Jenkins for the last three. "He can handle either safety position or the nickel," Payton said of Vaccaro. "We'll just see how it goes when he comes in. We say the same thing every year: we want to create competition with everyone in minicamp and training camp. "I felt like if he was available, we would be getting an awfully good defensive player to help our team. I think he's got that toughness and that suddenness you would like at that position. He brings a physical dimension to his game which you can see when you look at the tape." - The Sports Xchange
04/25/13 - DANE BRUGLER'S FINAL 2013 DRAFT BOARD: 25. S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas (6-0, 214, 4SR)...Although he needs to do a better job breaking down and finishing in space, Vaccaro has the physical nature and athleticism to cover in space and defend the run. - Dane Brugler, NFLDraftScout.com
04/25/13 - ROB RANG'S FINAL 2013 NFL DRAFT BIG BOARD: 24. Kenny Vaccaro, FS, Texas: Instinctive, athletic and tough, Vaccaro has many of the traits scouts are looking for, though he showed less than ideal speed at the combine (4.63) and isn't a natural ball hawk. He does possess the versatility teams require in today's game, as Vaccaro has starred as an in-the-box run-stuffer, single-high cover safety and even demonstrated the fluidity to handle nickel responsibilities. He carries some character red flags, however, which teams will want to consider. - Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com
03/29/13 - 2013 Texas Pro Day: Representatives from 30 NFL teams gathered at Texas’ pro day on Tuesday, where 12 players worked out indoors on FieldTurf. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert, Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and defensive line coach Jay Hayes, and New York Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman were the notables on hand for the workout.
Unfortunately, Kenny Vaccaro - the top-rated safety in Mike Mayock‘s draft position rankings - was limited at the pro day after tweaking a hip flexor during a private workout for an NFL team. Vaccaro won’t do the runs or jump, but did go through the position drills. Vaccaro is a projected first-round draft pick. - Gil Brandt, NFL.com
03/29/13 - 2013 Texas Pro Day: NFLDraftScout.com's top-rated safety Kenny Vaccaro wanted to run for scouts and improve his 40-yard dash time at the Texas Pro Day on Tuesday, but was limited due to a hip flexor injury. While he stood on his numbers from the combine, he did participate in positional drills, which were led by Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
Vaccaro, who ran a 4.63 40-yard dash in Indianapolis, looked athletic during drills and battled through the hip injury, which he suffered during a private workout with the Dallas Cowboys last week. He showed excellent burst and reaction quickness with little hesitation in his movements. Vaccaro did nothing to hurt his status as the draft's top safety prospect and could be drafted in the top half of round one in April. - Dane Brugler, NFLDraftScout.com
02/20/13 - 2013 NFL Combine, Workout warriors: While he has room to be more consistent breaking down in space, Texas' Kenny Vaccaro has a versatile skill set to be effective against both the pass and the run. He plays fast with a reckless abandonment and wastes little time in his movements, something that should help him during both the agility and positional drills at the combine. Vaccaro is also expected to be one of the few safeties in this class to run under the 4.5 mark in the 40-yard dash. - Dane Brugler, NFLDraftScout.com
12/29/12 - Scouting the Texas pass defense: Looking at the numbers, Texas has a solid pass defense, although that's partially due to the Big 12 opponents deciding that running the ball is a better policy. Carrington Byndom and Quandre Diggs are both playmakers in the defensive backfield, though both can get them into trouble with on-field gambles and Diggs in particular whiffs on the occasional tackle. Senior safety Kenny Vaccaro leads the team in tackles and is the quarterback in the secondary. - The Sports Xchange
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