New Orleans Saints No. 1 draft choice Marcus Davenport will undergo minor thumb surgery now that the team has completed its mini-camp.

But the lingering injury didn't prevent him from demonstrating the skills that led the organization to pay a high price to acquire him. Davenport John Lynch Jersey , a defensive end from Texas-San Antonio, is expected to be ready to go when the team reconvenes for the start of training camp in late July.

"He's explosive. He can run. He's got a quick twitch," Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen said. "All the stuff you saw on his college tape and everything he did at the combine. He's every bit as explosive. He's a good athlete, bends well. You can really see that on tape."

New Orleans saw enough of Davenport (6-foot-6, 265 pounds) before the draft to trade next year's No. 1 pick and a No. 5 this year to the Green Bay Packers to move up 13 spots to select him.

"Man, he is big and he's long," Saints head coach Sean Payton said. "He's a tremendous worker. He is coming along really well. There is a strength element you feel and you saw it when he played (in college). And now he is really working on his pass rush, working on his pass rush plan and developing the three different pitches he needs to be effective when it is not just playing the run."

New Orleans hopes the addition of Davenport will continue the defensive improvement the Saints showed last season. The Saints allowed 40 fewer yards per game, 50 fewer passing yards and eight fewer points in 2017 compared to 2016. Additionally their sacks increased from 30 to 42 as the team improved from a 7-9 record to 11-5 and an NFC South title.

"I see a guy who has all the qualities you're looking for in a right defensive end," defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. "I think the one thing that really stood out to us throughout the draft process was his ability to rush the passer. He's got the size, he's got the length, he's got the athletic ability."

Nielsen said he has been impressed by more than Davenport's athleticism.

"I didn't realize that he was a 3.8 student in college," Nielsen said. "He picked things up really quickly in terms of the scheme and where to align. He's a rookie and made a couple of mistakes Tre'Quan Smith Jersey , but still he's really picked it up. He's a very intelligent player so it was easy. It's good when you can put in a lot of stuff and they can pick it up pretty easily."

Davenport had been practicing with the thumb injury until leaving practice early Tuesday. It was unclear if his departure was related to the thumb injury, and Davenport sat out practice Wednesday. Payton canceled the final practice Thursday and said Davenport could have surgery as early as Friday.

The Saints expect Davenport to be a complement to Pro Bowl left end Cameron Jordan, who missed OTAs while recovering from offseason foot surgery and was excused from mini-camp because his wife was having a baby. Incumbent right end Alex Okafor has been limited while recovering from a torn Achilles suffered last season.

Their absence has allowed Davenport to get additional work, especially with the first team.

"We're just working on everything right now -- pass rush, runs, stunts -- everything to make him a well-rounded, complete player with all the fundamentals," Nielsen said. "It boosts the rotation. You've got another good player out there. It's going to help us across the line."

Davenport showed the athleticism that enabled him to play wide receiver early in his high-school career.

"Even when I was playing receiver I gravitated toward defensive ends," Davenport said. "I always thought they were big and fast and when you sack the quarterback it's a big deal.

"I thought it was a cool concept. But when I first got (to Texas-San Antonio) I was there to catch balls and score touchdowns. Things change."

James Neal had the puck on his stick and was staring at an open net. In a can’t-miss situation, that’s exactly what he did.

Poised to give the Vegas Golden Knights the opening goal in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, the veteran leader of this upstart expansion team hit the right post . Ping! The puck skipped behind Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby and slithered harmlessly toward the back boards.

”You want those chances. Nine times out of 10 you probably put that in the back of the net,” Neal said. ”I had the composure to wait. And then you shoot it and you’re like, `Oh!”’

The Golden Knights Jarran Reed Jersey , a team in desperate need of a boost of confidence, collectively shrugged as a golden opportunity slipped away.

”It definitely would have changed the outcome of the game and would have given us momentum,” said right wing Alex Tuch, who knows a thing or two about being coming up empty on a close-in shot.

Not surprisingly, the Golden Knights sputtered the rest of the way Monday night in a 6-2 defeat that put them on the brink of elimination. Washington is up 3-1 and can win its first Stanley Cup on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

”Go home, win one game and the pressure is on them,” Neal said, hopefully.

Although the Capitals have blown many a playoff series in the past, only one team, the 1942 Detroit Red Wings, has lost the Stanley Cup Final after holding a 3-1 lead.

”Not where we want to be, that’s for sure,” Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. ”But we have a good bunch of guys with a lot of character in the room. Nobody’s quitting.”

Barring a comeback of historic proportions – an unlikely occurrence after being outscored 12-5 over the past three games – the Golden Knights will always remember this series for ”The Stick” and ”The Post.”

”The Stick” was wielded by Holtby Phillip Dorsett Jersey , who used it late in Game 2 to snuff a seemingly sure goal by Tuch in a 3-2 Washington victory. ”The Post” is a symbol of the frustration Vegas has experienced in this series after winning 12 of 15 in roaring to the Western Conference title.

Who knows if things would have been different on Monday night if Neal put the puck in the net?

This much is certain: The reeling Golden Knights were looking for something, anything, to build on when they entered Game 4, and a 1-0 lead would have been splendid. Presented with a power play in a scoreless first period, Vegas worked the puck around smartly in the Washington zone. Then, Erik Haula whisked a cross-ice pass to Neal on the left side of the net, and Holtby was slow to react.

”We obviously got some breaks at the start of the game,” the goaltender said. ”Honestly, I thought it was in. Somehow, it didn’t go in.”

Said Neal: ”It’s not like anyone made a save. I shot it off the post on the far side. It’s done with. It’s not the first time it’s happened. Probably won’t be the last. But at this stage, at that moment, it changes the game.”

The Capitals rattled off three straight goals before the period ended to take full control.

Game over. On to the next one for the Golden Knights, who face elimination for the first time during the playoffs.

”You can’t feel sorry for yourself. You’ve got to win a game at home Jim Otto Jersey ,” Neal said. ”That’s what we’ll focus on. I like the way we played. You’ve got to take the positives.”

Coach Gerard Gallant insisted: ”Tonight’s game was a step forward. Obviously, though, we have no more room for error.”

The Golden Knights could use a little luck. Tuch and Brayden McNabb both lined shots off the post after Neal, who scored with just under 16 minutes left to make it 4-1.

But the outcome by then was all but decided.

The Golden Knights have struggled to generate offense against the tenacious Washington defense, and Fleury has not been as sharp as he was in Vegas’ three previous series. He gave up six goals on 23 shots as Vegas dropped its third straight game.

”Obviously, when you’re a goalie, you don’t want to get scored on,” Fleury said. ”There was a lot of that tonight. It’s never a good feeling.”

—

More Stanley Cup coverage: Womens Ronald Jones II Jersey