Ranking Saints defensive needs: Upgrades and new scheme fits are musts

We ranked the Saints' offensive needs earlier this week. And unfortunately, the outlook for this side of the ball is just as bleak for a team that needs to replenish every single position group with younger talent.

Here’s a look at the Saints’ current depth chart and their biggest needs as we head into the start of the legal tampering window for free agency on Monday and the official start of the new league year on Wednesday:

NO. 5 LINEBACKER

Current depth chart:

Demario Davis. Age 36. Signed through 2025.

Pete Werner. Age 25. Signed through 2027.

Willie Gay. Age 27. Unrestricted free agent.

D’Marco Jackson. Age 26. Signed through 2025.

Anfernee Orji. Age 24. Signed through 2025.

Jaylan Ford. Age 23. Signed through 2027.

Nephi Sewell. Age 26. Exclusive rights free agent.

Just like on offense, you could make a case for pretty much every position at No. 1 on this list. Davis has suggested he wants to keep playing beyond this year, but the Saints can’t count on him defying the laws of time and aging for much longer.

The Saints don’t need to spend big on an immediate starter at this position, however. So they could re-sign a Willie Gay type in free agency for depth (or just re-sign Gay himself). And they should try and find a future starter in the draft.

NO. 4 DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Current depth chart:

Bryan Bresee. Age 23. Signed through 2026, eligible for fifth-year option in 2027.

Nathan Shepherd. Age 31. Signed through 2025.

Khalen Saunders. Age 28. Signed through 2025.

John Ridgeway. Age 25. Signed through 2025.

Khristian Boyd. Age 25. Signed through 2027.

Camron Peterson. Age 25. Signed through 2026.

The Saints have already begun to try addressing this need even before the start of free agency, so we could see a hole get filled any day now. But the entire defensive line should undergo a bit of a makeover under new DC Brandon Staley and his switch to a 3-4 scheme.

Bresee is one of the few promising young building blocks on the defense, which helps. But he still needs to take the next step to establish himself as a premier talent, especially against the run.

Beyond that, it will be interesting to see if the Saints plan to keep Shepherd, Saunders and Ridgeway, depending on how they’re viewed by the new coaching staff.

NO. 3 CORNERBACK

Current depth chart:

Paulson Adebo. Age 25. Unrestricted free agent.

Alontae Taylor. Age 26. Signed through 2025.

Kool-Aid McKinstry. Age 22. Signed through 2027.

Rico Payton. Age 25. Signed through 2026.

Shemar Jean-Charles. Age 26. Unrestricted free agent.

Rejzohn Wright. Age 24. Signed through 2025.

Travion Fluellen. Age 23. Signed through 2027.

This position is vital enough to rank it even higher on this list. But at least the Saints have invested two second-round picks recently in projected starters Taylor and McKinstry, so there is some younger talent in the fold.

📈 pic.twitter.com/3mERf6EjSi— Paulson Adebo (@AdeboPaulson_) March 7, 2025

It won’t be cheap to bring back Adebo, who appears to be on the mend from a rare broken femur suffered last October. So finding a third corner will be a must – whether that’s a nickel corner or whether the Saints opt to move Taylor back inside. Taylor will be one of the most important players on the entire roster this year after he has battled inconsistency while flashing enticing potential in the past three years.

The Saints could also make room for even more young talent if they decide to draft another corner as early as Round 1. They’ll have an even greater need next year if Taylor doesn’t emerge as a long-term answer.

NO. 2 SAFETY

Current depth chart:

Tyrann Mathieu. Age 32. Signed through 2025.

Will Harris. Age 29. Unrestricted free agent.

Jordan Howden. Age 24. Signed through 2026.

J.T. Gray. Age 29. Signed through 2025.

Ugo Amadi. Age 27. Unrestricted free agent.

Millard Bradford. Age 25. Signed through 2025.

Isaiah Stalbird. Age 24. Signed through 2025.

This is a screaming need even if Mathieu stays on the roster. The Saints need to identify someone to pair alongside him, and they will need to replace Mathieu either immediately or in the near future.

Harris was a nice addition in free agency last year and could easily come back again to help add depth. But the Saints have tremendous room to improve here in both the short term and long term.

NO. 1 DEFENSIVE END

Current depth chart:

Carl Granderson. Age 28. Signed through 2027.

Chase Young. Age 25. Unrestricted free agent.

Cam Jordan. Age 35. Signed through 2025.

Payton Turner. Age 26. Unrestricted free agent.

Isaiah Foskey. Age 24. Signed through 2026.

Tanoh Kpassagnon. Age 30. Unrestricted free agent.

Ryder Anderson. Age 26. Signed through 2025.

Yeah, yeah, we know. You’re tired of the Saints missing on defensive ends with crucial draft picks (see: Marcus Davenport, Turner, Foskey). But that doesn’t mean they should stop trying, especially now that they have a top-10 pick for the first time in 17 years.

It’s possible the Saints will consider bringing back Young, though there’s also a good chance he will get priced out of New Orleans in free agency. And there is optimism that the Saints will be able to work something out with Jordan to keep him in New Orleans at a reduced price.

But the Saints need to reshape their roster to fit Staley’s scheme – and they need to inject some elite talent into their pass rush, which is arguably the second most important aspect in the sport outside of quarterback.