A wrap-up of the New Orleans Saints' draft.

Best move: The Saints' best move was also their most boring -- taking the guy that everyone predicted they would take in Round 1, Louisville DT Sheldon Rankins.

The pick was obvious for a reason. Rankins is a terrific athlete for his size at 6-foot-1, 299 pounds. And he should make an immediate impact as both a run defender and pass-rusher. That's huge for a New Orleans defense that ranked last in the NFL last season in both yards allowed per rush (4.9) and yards allowed per pass play (8.35).

I also liked the value the Saints got with both of their second-round picks (Ohio State's big WR Michael Thomas and Ohio State safety Vonn Bell). But Rankins is the best player and filled the biggest need.

Riskiest move: Trading up twice. After stockpiling nine picks in 2015, Saints GM Mickey Loomis and coach Sean Payton went back to their old aggressive ways. They moved up to get Bell in Round 2 (trading their third-rounder and fourth-rounder). Then they moved up again for Manitoba DT David Onyemata in Round 4 (trading fifth-rounders in 2016 and 2017). That was especially surprising since New Orleans had only six picks to start with this year.

I'm usually OK with the Saints getting aggressive when they have conviction on a player (like Brandin Cooks in 2014, for example). And Loomis was unapologetic after the draft, saying he reminded the media that he tends to favor moving up to get the players the Saints want. But they have done it an awful lot in recent years, and it has hurt their depth. New Orleans' 52 picks since 2008 are the fewest in the NFL.

Most surprising move: Trading up for Onyemata. The Nigerian-born defensive tackle from a Canadian university was hard to find in most pre-draft rankings (ESPN/Scouts Inc. had him at No. 257). But that's a bit misleading since he is a late bloomer who was starting to generate some buzz in recent weeks. Onyemata's story is fascinating -- he had never even held a football in his hands until he walked into Manitoba coach Brian Dobie's office in 2011, looking to try out. Within a few years, he developed into the country's top defensive lineman. Onyemata also impressed at the East-West Shrine Game, but he remains a raw developmental project.

File it away: Thomas was the sixth receiver taken in this year's draft. But chances are, he'll create more fantasy buzz than some of the guys taken ahead of him because of the offense in which he landed. The Saints once again had the NFL's No. 1 passing offense last year. And they had an opening for a big receiver like the 6-3, 212-pound Thomas after they released longtime big man Marques Colston in February. Thomas could get some red zone looks as a rookie.

Thumbs up: This was awfully close to a thumbs down, since I don't like the price the Saints paid with those two trades. It's a thin class for a team that still has a lot of needs. But I like the picks themselves -- especially the top three selections of Rankins, Thomas and Bell. All three were ranked among ESPN/Scouts Inc.'s top 37 players, all three fill needs, and all have the chance to make an early impact.