The New Orleans Saints defense hit their stride at the end of the season after allowing 20 or more points in 10 of their first 11 games. From that point, the team flipped the script: opponents failed to cross the 20 point threshold in the final six games of the year. They finished top-five in yards allowed and top-10 in points allowed.
Yet, questions still remain headed into the upcoming season. They went under some changes within the front seven. With that being the case, it’s no surprise the biggest questions on the Saints defense can be found on the defensive line and in the linebacker corps. Here’s where we’re looking for answers:
1
Who starts opposite Cam Jordan at defensive end?
Jordan will be 34 years old when the season starts. He’s been a consistent threat on the edge for the Saints, but he can’t carry that weight by himself forever. You’ve seen the Saints invest high draft capital into finding him a running mate with poor return on investment. Marcus Davenport wasn’t the answer, and Payton Turner hasn’t looked like the answer thus far.
The Saints selected Notre Dame defensive end Isaiah Foskey in the 2023 NFL Draft. Turner and Foskey, along with Tanoh Kpassagnon, and Carl Granderson will fight to lead the rotation on the other side of Jordan. The best case scenario is Foskey looks really effective and Turner develops in his third year. That would give you an answer this year and more confidence going into the future.
2
Where does the pass rush come from?
New Orleans racked up over 40 sacks once again last year. That’s a good number, but a fourth of those sacks came from the linebacker position. Ideally, you’d like to see a more efficient pass rush with just your defensive line. That’s a major reason the first two draft picks were spent on the defensive trenches. The departure of linebacker Kaden Elliss makes this question more pressing. Elliss had seven sacks, second-most on the team. Including Elliss, four of the Saints’ top-10 leaders in sacks from last year will not be returning to the team. Will the young additions on the defensive line fill that void or will it be more blitzing from the second level? If it’s the latter, finding a replacement for Elliss just got more important.
3
How will New Orleans fill out linebacker depth?
Demario Davis and Pete Werner are a strong linebacker duo. If either one has to miss time, which Werner has in both of his NFL seasons, it’s unclear who would step into the starting lineup. Kwon Alexander and Elliss have filled that role the last two years. D’Marco Jackson, Nick Anderson and Anfernee Orji would seem like the most likely candidates, but neither of those players have played an NFL snap before. Jackson was injured in training camp last year, while Anderson and Orji are rookies.
If the Saints opt for a veteran outside of the team, former Falcons linebacker Deion Jones would be a good selection. He has history with defensive coordinator Joe Woods, as a bonus. Though he’s smaller than the Saints typical prototype at the position, Kwon Alexander is proof the Saints will break the prototype for veteran assets at times. Jones would be a good addition for pass coverage from the second level.
