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Months of preparation and work are over for NFL scouts as the 2016 NFL Draft wrapped up over the weekend. But that doesn’t mean the work ends for the players who are just beginning their professional careers.

To be honest, it is fun to make judgments about how well a team drafted, but in reality, it will be a couple of years before we really know how well a team did. That’s not going to stop me from trying to look to the future to see how this class shapes up for the New Orleans Saints and the other players drafted from Mississippi universities.

First, let’s take a look at the Saints draft.

New Orleans’ dreadful defense has been the biggest reason for lack of success. Last season, the Saints gave up an NFL worst of 29.8 points per game. It’s hard to win when every game becomes a shootout.

Part of the reason for that was the Saints gave up a NFL worst 4.9 yards per rush and 8.35 yards per pass. Again, it is hard for a defense to get off the field or win games when the opposing offense is in second and third down and short on every drive.

New Orleans had to use this draft to fix the team’s defensive ills if it wanted to make the most out of quarterback Drew Brees' final peak years. The Saints delivered on defense with first round and 12th overall pick draft pick, Sheldon Rankins out of the University of Louisville.

Rankins should be a run-stuffing interior lineman who can also become a stud pass rusher in sub packages.

A note on sub packages: You will hear that phrase a good bit in today’s NFL. It's when defenses get into their nickel-and-dime defenses.

This pick will be a success if Rankins helps improve a defense that gave up 129.8 yards per game, which was second worst in the NFL behind the Philadelphia Eagles. Winning on first and second down should help the Saints get off the field on third down.

The Saints selected wide receiver Michael Thomas out of Ohio State University in the second round with the 47th pick. This should be the replacement for Marques Colston.

Thomas is a big-body receiver, can make catches in traffic and should be a force in the red zone. He should help take some of the coverage from Brandin Cooks and help get Willie Snead open for more catches.

An extra note on Thomas: His uncle is former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson.

New Orleans went back to defense with its second of two second-round picks when the team traded with the New England Patriots to get Vonn Bell, also out of OSU, with the 61st pick. Bell has the abilities to cover like a corner, but he plays safety.

This pick will work in sub packages, as Bell can be used to cover a team’s slot receiver. He fell down the draft because he shies away from contact and is a poor tackler. If the Saints can get him to be more physical, this pick will get even better.

In the fourth round New Orleans made another trade, this time with Washington when the Saints selected David Onyemata out of the University of Manitoba with the 120th pick. This is a pick not many will be familiar with since the player is out of Canada.

Onyemata, a Nigeria native, had never seen a football five years ago. He will be a project, but scouting reports show he has a big upside if he develops as a player.

This pick works because the Saints need help on defense. But how much help can Onyemata give right away?

New Orleans has had some success from players out of Canada. He has to be a hit to make the trade worth it.

Finally, the Saints selected Daniel Lasco out of the University of California with their final pick. Lasco was drafted with the 237th pick in the seventh round.

In his final season at Cal, Lasco was injured, but the season before, he was named the Golden Bears MVP over Los Angeles Rams and overall No. 1 pick Jared Goff. He will fight for playing time a crowded New Orleans backfield.

Lasco might be a special-teams player his rookie year if he isn’t on the practice squad.

Draft grade: B-.

I like all the picks, but the two trades hurt. New Orleans must hit on each and every one of these picks as well since the team has such a small draft class. The club also will have to fill holes in undrafted free agents.

Now for players from Mississippi universities taken in the draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs drafted former Mississippi State University star Chris Jones with the 37th pick in the second round. Jones didn’t have to wait long to hear his name called on night two of the draft when he was selected as the sixth player in round two.

Jones will be a rotation player early with the Chiefs and will get a chance to develop more in the next couple of years. This was a good-value pick for the Kansas City if Jones lives up to his upside.

Former Mississippi State cornerback Will Redmond might have been a late-first-round or early-second-round pick if he hadn’t suffered a knee injury. Instead, he fell to the third round, and the San Francisco 49ers drafted him with the 68th pick.

Redmond could be a steal for the 49ers if he comes back healthy with his speed. Again, San Francisco might have a first-round cornerback from the third round depending on how he heals over the next few months.

Rumors were that the Dallas Cowboys wanted to trade up to get University of Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch on day one of the draft. There were also rumors that the Cowboys wanted to trade up to get Michigan State University quarterback Connor Cook.

Instead, Lynch went to the Denver Broncos, and Cook went to the Raiders. Dallas instead picked Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott.

Did his run-in with the law drop him in the draft? Probably by a round or so.

Still, this could be an ideal situation for him. He gets to sit behind Tony Romo and learn and then take over one of the most recognized positions in all of professional football.

People compare Prescott with Tim Tebow a lot, and the comparison rings true because of their connection to Dan Mullen and the fact that both players' game is similar on the field. In the end, he is a better passer than Tebow and being drafted in the fourth round is better because he has time to develop a bit.

If the Cowboys play this right, they won’t have a drop-off at quarterback when Romo retires.

The 49ers were stocking up on players from Mississippi universities. This time, San Francisco selected Fann Cooper out of the University of Mississippi in the fifth round.

Cooper replaced Laremy Tunsil at left tackle some while Tunsil was suspended and is a big and physical tackle prospect. Cooper needs some work but should be able to compete for the starting right tackle spot very soon.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Cody Core out of UM in the sixth round with the 199th pick. That is the same pick as Tom Brady, and while Core might not have a Hall of Fame career, he can be a solid player in the league.

Core dropped farther than I thought he would, but he landed in a good spot. Cincinnati needed wide-receiver help so he fills a need for the club. In the second round, the Bengals did select Tyler Boyd at wide receiver as well.

Former University of Southern Mississippi wide receiver Mike Thomas dropped to the sixth round, where the Rams picked him because of his lack of speed. All Thomas did in his two years at USM was make plays.

Los Angeles needs playmakers, so Thomas will have a chance to make the team. The Rams selected wide receiver Pharoh Cooper in the draft as well.

The final pick of the entire draft was the Tennessee Titans selecting former USM cornerback Kalan Reed with the 253rd pick. Reed now will get all the benefits of being named Mr. Irrelevant.

On film, he flashes big play ability and will get a chance to make the Titans as a special team player. Tennessee needs help in the secondary, so Reed will have a plenty of shots to show what he can do on the field.

One more player to mention and part of the many feel-good stories of the draft is former Olive Branch High School star Shon Coleman being drafted by Cleveland Browns out of the University of Auburn. Colemon battled leukemia and won, and now he has a chance to have a professional football career.