If the New Orleans Saints want to break a three-year playoff draught, some changes are going to have to be made. The Saints are getting older and need to get younger while also simultaneously improving at a few position groups. The biggest area of weakness for the team on both sides of the ball is the trenches.
The Saints’ biggest issues on offense can be traced back to the struggles along the offensive line. The offense fell apart when protection weakened around Derek Carr. Defensively, the Saints struggled to rush the passer or stop the run. Here’s what they need to do to correct those problems and get back to the playoffs in 2024:
Draft a faster edge rusher
The Saints pass rush is too slow for the modern NFL. It was an issue that arose again and again this season in both the pass and the run. The prototype that they have been drafting with for years hasn’t worked out in a while and they had one of worst defensive end groups in the NFL last season. The defensive line as a whole was very unimpressive outside of Carl Granderson and Bryan Bresee.
Keep Marshon Lattimore around
This is kind of cheating, because it’s more of a move that they shouldn’t make. Lattimore is still an All-Pro level cornerback and should stay around to lock down an elite secondary. While some might consider the emergence of Paulson Adebo as making Lattimore disposable, I think it should be even more of a reason to keep him around. Having both of them would give you one of the best duos in the league which is important when you’re not as confident in other parts of your defense.
Draft a first-round offensive tackle
We return to the trenches. The Saints have always valued the offensive line, frequently spending high draft picks on the position. An argument could be made to draft two offensive linemen, but one step at a time. The Trevor Penning Experiment blew up epically last year and it’s time to look for other options. The Saints need to bring in a tackle that can replace either Penning or Ryan Ramcyzk, depending on injury, in 2024.
Invest in more defensive tackles
New Orleans has typically been strong against the run, but that hasn’t been the case recently. New Orleans needs to fortify the inside of their defensive line. They attempted to do this by signing Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd, but the results were less impressive than expected. New Orleans needs to go back to the drawing board and invest in the position again either in the draft or free agency.
Trade back in the draft
This is a rarity for the Saints, but they should look to do it this year. New Orleans currently have six draft picks before compensatory picks become official. The Saints need an influx of young talent desperately. A sweet spot to trade would be in the second round in hopes of having three top 100 picks. This will hopefully allow New Orleans to get multiple players who can contribute in 2024 while also setting a foundation for the foreseeable future.
Hire the right offensive coordinator
There’s nothing the Saints can do this offseason that’s more important than landing the right play caller. Finding an offensive coordinator who can maintain Derek Carr’s strong finish to the 2023 season while getting more out of key players like Alvin Kamara and Juwan Johnson — and improving the performance of the offensive line — is key. Whether that’s someone like Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Zac Robinson or his San Francisco 49ers counterpart Klint Kubiak, or someone else, it’s a move that Dennis Allen must get right.
