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Saints trade up for fascinating Canadian defensive tackle

Eric Edholm

The New Orleans Saints traded up in Round 4 for a fascinating but very raw prospect from an unusual location: The University of Manitoba. They took 6-foot-3, 300-pound DT David Onyemata, a very raw prospect but one who could pay off in time, with the 120th pick in the draft.

Yes, that's Canada, folks. The NFL will dip its toes in the northern waters occasionally, and the Saints are more willing to do so than other teams it appears. The last Canadian prospect taken this high in the NFL draft was third-rounder Akiem Hicks by New Orleans in 2012 via Regina. And the only other player drafted from Manitoba? Israel Idonije, who had a nice career in the NFL.

Hicks didn't work out in New Orleans, but he found success with the New England Patriots last season after he was traded there and parlayed that into a big free-agent deal this offseason with the Chicago Bears.

Might Onyemata, who was invited to the East-West Shrine Game, pay off down the road? He only has played football for four years now and is in need of more seasoning and refinement. One CFL scout we spoke with noted Onyemata's incredible wingspan (82 inches) and strong short-area quickness (7.25 three-cone drill). He also bench pressed 225 pounds 33 times and had a great 10-yard split on his 40-yard dash: 1.66 seconds.

But he's raw, too, and the Saints need help now defensively. Still, the promise could be really good down the road.

From the scouting report:

"In my four years evaluating Canadian college players, he was by far the most productive defensive linemen as he dominated nearly every game. ... He was very impressive in the three games I evaluated and three practices [at the East West]. I have no doubt he can be a high-end starting [defensive tackle] in the CFL ... but I think he'll be a starter in time in the NFL. ... I think he is best suited to play [defensive end] in a [3-4 defense] but can be productive in that role or as a [4-3 defensive tackle]."

The Saints are not afraid to gamble, clearly, and Sean Payton and Co. just took another dice roll on a raw talent.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!