Ouch. It was a rough year for the New Orleans Saints offensive line, but were things really this bad? Pro Football Focus ranked the Saints’ big men up front at No. 24 out of 32 as a unit, with PFF analyst Sam Monson writing:
Rookie Trevor Penning got his first start at left tackle in the final game of his rookie year; now he needs to step in and be an upgrade over the solid James Hurst in his second season.
The Saints will be another line operating with a very different quarterback situation as Derek Carr comes in to offer his influence under center.
Best Player: Ryan Ramczyk
It wasn’t his best season, but Ryan Ramczyk was still the class of this line in 2022. He allowed three sacks and 20 total pressures over the year and was by far the team’s best run blocker.
This year’s configuration should look much like the 2022 offensive line: Penning at left tackle, Andrus Peat at left guard, Erik McCoy at center, and Ruiz at right guard with Ramczyk anchoring the right tackle spot. The Saints probably aren’t going to be able to find anyone in free agency right now who can unseat one of those starters — former Denver Broncos guard Dalton Risner will have easier paths to a starting job available to him.
It’s a bit of a cop out, but the group just needs to play better. Penning needs to be available and meet expectations as a former first-round draft pick. Peat can’t be making mental mistakes for someone of his experience and letting rushers get by him. That goes for McCoy, too, whose five penalties last year led the starters. Ruiz made real progress in 2022 and he needs to keep pushing forward. The Saints have invested too many draft picks and too much money in their offensive line for the unit to be a weakness.
