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Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said he was “looking for big things” from defensive end Marcus Davenport this season.

Since he’s the reason the Saints are sitting out the first round Thursday night, Davenport better deliver.

The Saints have defended last year’s trade for the developmental pass-rusher, which sent their 2018 and 2019 first-rounders and last year’s fifth to Green Bay for a guy who finished with 4.5 sacks.

Injuries were a central theme for him last year, with a groin problem in training camp costing him two weeks, and then a toe injury later in the season knocked him out of three games. He came back but wasn’t as effective, and had surgery this offseason to correct the problem.

“When a guy is dinged and injured and he’s playing through it, tough as heck, that slows development,” Saints assistant General Manager Jeff Ireland said, via Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times Picayune. “But certainly, we’ve got a plan for him. He’s going to get healthy, that’s No. 1, and then there will be a little bit of starting back, taking from scratch a little bit.

“But he’s a fast learner and a tremendous athlete, so his development should be pretty quick I’d hope.”

Of course, the Saints had a good season without him playing a starring role, and the fact that pick is 30th overall reduces the sting a bit.