Ranking every position group on Saints’ roster, from strongest to weakest
The New Orleans Saints are coming off of their worst winning percentage since Jim Haslett was the head coach in 2005. It’s safe to say that Dennis Allen has his work cut out for him and is for sure on the hot seat, but the good news is that this roster looks a lot better than last season. They’ve made some key changes to key spots in the roster, could be getting some big names back and are banking on some young players to progress.
Here is every single position group on the Saints this season ranked from best to worst based on all of the information we currently have, this will probably look a lot different by the end of the season and potentially after training camp:
Running back
This has gone from teetering to a weakness to an absolute strength over the course of one offseason. Kamara is an elite running back, and even if he misses a couple of games will be a huge part of this team. New additions Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller give this room maybe the best depth it has ever had. Eno Benjamin is a sleeper player that could contribute as well.
Linebacker
The room might have gotten a little bit lighter with the loss of Kaden Elliss, but the top end of it still has this among the top of the team. Demario Davis and Pete Werner, when healthy, are the best linebacker duo in the league. D’Marco Jackson, Zack Baun, Anfernee Orji and Nick Anderson will need to figure out who will be the third best linebacker on the team.
Safety
Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye combine for a very solid group of veteran leaders. Mathieu is still considered one of the best safeties in the league and Maye had a good debut season in New Orleans. The rotation behind them is a bit of a question mark, but some intriguing names like J.T Gray, Jordan Howden and Smoke Monday could prove useful as well.
Cornerback
This is maybe the most interesting group on the team. Marshon Lattimore is a beast, but has some work to do to rebuild his reputation among the best in the league. Alontae Taylor and Paulson Adebo will be fighting for a starting spot on the boundary with Bradley Roby at the nickel. This could be the best group on the team by the end of the year.
Wide receiver
Michael Thomas is the X-factor of this group, if he can contribute like he came out of the gates with last year this could be a special year for the receivers. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed had stellar rookie campaigns and have shown no signs of slowing down, literally and figuratively. The depth below those three is indeed a bit of the question mark, however. AT Perry is an exciting young prospect, but after him it’s a group of veterans trying to stick around.
Quarterback
Carr is the best quarterback the Saints have had since Drew Brees, without a doubt, but still has something to prove after a down season in Las Vegas. Carr could shoot up his ranks with a new identity in New Orleans if things work out. Jameis Winston and Jake Haener are solid backup options.
Defensive end
With Cameron Jordan showing some signs of regression with age, the countless resources that the Saints have poured into this position group must pay off this season. Payton Turner is in a make-or-break season, Carl Granderson is teetering on the edge of breaking out, Isaiah Foskey is a promising rookie and Tanoh Kpassagnon is solid depth. It’ll be hard to perform worse than last season’s pass rush, but this group has to perform.
Tight end
Juwan Johnson is steadily improving as a pass catcher. The Saints made a big change in his running mate, essentially swapping Adam Trautman out for Foster Moreau which could end up being one of the sneakiest big moves of the offseason. Of course, Taysom Hill is still considered a tight end and will have a crucial role on this team.
Offensive line
The depth of this group is better this time around, but it’s the starters that need to step up. Cesar Ruiz showed signs of improvement for the first time in his career, Andrus Peat is Andrus Peat, Trevor Penning must become the franchise tackle that the Saints sold out to get. The offense has potential, but it’s up to this group to get them there.
Defensive tackle
This is almost an entirely new look group so it’s hard to project what they’ll look like. Khalen Saunder and Nathan Shepherd were brought in during free agency and the Saints drafted Bryan Bresee in the first round. It’ll be interesting to see how much they miss David Onyemata, but overall it’s hard to imagine this group is worse off than last season.
