The 2023 NFL offseason is in full swing, and with that, training camps edge ever closer to starting. We have seen a new wave of players enter the team both via the draft and free agency, but there is also a large group of returning players from last season as well. This has led to some debates to be had regarding which players will have the largest impact on the roster for the 2023 season.
Each day we will be counting down the 25 most important Saints for the 2023 season. This will be split up into the following categories:
- Recap of their 2022 season
- Projecting their 2023 success
- What is the biggest question mark for them in 2023?
The fifth-ranked player by the Saints Wire staff is defensive end Cameron Jordan:
Background
Jordan was drafted in the first round by the New Orleans Saints in the 2011 NFL draft out of the University of California, Berkley. He was a first team All-Pac-10 player in college, with 34 tackles for a loss and 16.5 sacks during his collegiate career.
Since then, he has become one of the best Saints players of all time. Last season, he overtook Rickey Jackson for the career lead in sacks with 115.5. With a good season this year, he could enter the top-30 for all time in the NFL.
2022 Recap
People started to worry that Jordan’s decline may have really started to show, but he came back with a strong finish to have an overall good 2022 season. It wasn’t super consistent, over half of his sacks came from just two games, but he still proved his value as a run stopper and presence along the line.
2023 Outlook
The hope is that Jordan brings his strong finish into the start of next season. He had at least four tackles in each of the last three games and a tackle for a loss in each of them. His run defense should still prove to be among the best in the league, with his pass rushing continuing to be questioned.
At a minimum, Jordan will be a fantastic veteran for the young draft picks in Bryan Bresee and Isaiah Foskey.
Biggest question: How much longer will he play in the NFL?
Jordan’s age is no secret, he’s entering his age 34 season in the NFL. We’ve seen players play older than this at defensive end, he’s not even the oldest active player at the position. But players really don’t usually play much longer, so the question has to really start to be considered from here on out.
Can he keep up his play to a level that it makes sense to keep going? As of last season yes, but the Saints need to prepare for the decline to hit. That preparation is clear with the drafting of Isaiah Foskey in the second round last season.
