Saints pick Pressley tries to overcome injury-plagued past

Payton confident in d-line rookie

By LARRY HOLDER
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The bumps and bruises are typical for rookies making their initial jump to the grind of an NFL team practice as the Saints wrap up their three-day, five-session rookie minicamp today.

But the knock on Pressley leading up to the draft was his durability health-wise and it undoubtedly dropped his stock considering his size (6-foot-3, 301 pounds).

In 2007, he missed two games last season with a knee injury and tore ligaments in his elbow leading up to last season. He also sustained wrist and toe injuries in 2006.

Saints coach Sean Payton acknowledged those concerns again when he addressed the media Saturday.

"I think he's going to be able to get stronger in our program and it will be important to him improve in that area," Payton said. "We talked a little about that yesterday. He has athleticism and some of that quick twitch that you are looking for."

Pressley made his first attempt to debunk those knocks by jumping right back on the practice field for Saturday afternoon's session. He's not counting on being the team's fifth-round pick to make the Saints.

"First thing I'm looking at is just to make the team," Pressley said. "If I make the team, I'll keep learning by continuing to work on my pass rush and my run technique. I've got to get better."

First-round defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis will take most of the rookie headlines surrounding the Saints' 2008 class. Yet the Saints traded up to select both Ellis and Pressley.

The difference between the trades are fairly obvious with the Saints trading up two spots in the fifth round to select Pressley as opposed to two spots in Round 1 to grab Ellis. Pressley doesn't look at the situation in those terms.

"That doesn't matter at all," Pressley said. "That's just the way things turned out. I'll be fighting for a defensive tackle position just as hard as he will be."

Payton's aspirations for Pressley are apparent. Pressley and Ellis lined up side-by-side with Pressley playing the three spot (Brian Young's side) with Ellis at the nose (Hollis Thomas' side). Both of their lockers are also adjoined.

"(Pressley's) body of work probably isn't as long or has been as good as Ellis' but nonetheless, he's a young talent that we are encouraged about and excited to work with," Payton said.

Those two may become the future cogs in the middle of the Saints' defensive front. Right now Pressley's thoughts aren't anywhere near that. Keeping up with former Ole Miss coach and current Saints defensive line coach Ed Orgeron is priority No. 1 this weekend.

"I'm learning a lot and that's because coach Orgeron is a really intense coach," Pressley said. "With him, you have to move fast and have to learn fast. It's a totally different game from college, very different because of the speed.

"He's throwing a lot at you at a time, but I think I'm taking it on pretty well. With coach O, you've only got one chance to do it and do it right. So you better do it right that first time."

Sedrick Ellis takes his first snaps in the black and the gold,