Where do they fit? Ranking Saints’ most intriguing positions based on new additions

We’re finally about to see the 2025 Saints on the field.

Starting with a glimpse of rookie minicamp this weekend, then the full team over four weeks of OTAs and minicamp, we’ll get our first real look at some of the alignment/assignment stuff that has only been a theory up until now.

So where will all the newcomers fit after free agency and the draft? Here are the top five position groups we’re most intrigued to learn more about this spring:

5. WIDE RECEIVER

Unfortunately, this was the position Mickey Loomis identified as the Saints’ biggest draft miss – one they intended to address, but the board never cooperated. So it won’t be surprising if they add a free agent down the road.

But for now we’re left with a top three of Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks that includes some obvious redundancies, and an interesting group of backups that includes Bub Means, Cedrick Wilson and Kevin Austin.

Me and @brandont504 talked about Bub Means on last Friday’s @nofnetwork show. He’s been noticeably attacking this offseason, trying to make up for the lost time from his rookie year ankle injury. Interested to see his next steps. https://t.co/ISkdQ6h0Bi— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) May 6, 2025

Even if the Saints don’t add to this group, it will be fascinating to see how Kellen Moore moves the speedy Olave, Shaheed and Cooks around to put pressure on defenses – which is what he does best and how he became a NFL head coach in the first place.

4. CORNERBACK

The Saints made a nice value pick here in Round 4 with Louisville’s Quincy Riley. And they made a good value signing in free agency by bringing back veteran Isaac Yiadom. But neither path led to a true CB1. So that puts a huge spotlight on young incumbents Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry.

The best guess here is that Taylor and McKinstry start the offseason as the two starters on the outside – their jobs to lose heading into the season. But then there is a strong chance that Taylor will move inside to the slot in nickel and dime packages, while Yiadom and Riley battle for the other outside cornerback spot in sub packages.

Of course it’s possible that Taylor could remain outside full-time and that Riley could win the nickel job (Riley embraced the idea of that role when we spoke to him after the draft). Or it’s possible that Taylor could switch back to being a full-time nickel corner after he has played some of his best football there.

But Taylor seemed to confirm the idea that the Saints’ vision is for him to play a versatile inside/outside role when he told WWL Radio, "You go back to that 2020 (Rams) defense when they won the Super Bowl with Jalen Ramsey and those guys, so kind of look at me in that role."

That Super Bowl-winning Rams defense was coached by new Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. So it’s very possible that he envisions a similar role for Taylor. And that would make sense, considering Taylor’s skill set.

We know Taylor has a huge upside. But his biggest issue has always been consistency. And it won’t be any easier to finally maintain that as he switches roles for the fourth straight season heading into a contract year.

3. DEFENSIVE LINE

The Saints’ first big move in free agency was to trade for veteran Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. Made perfect sense, considering Staley plans to install a 3-4 base front and Godchaux is a traditional 3-4 nose tackle.

But then the Saints decided to keep veterans Nathan Shepherd, Khalen Saunders and Cameron Jordan – all of whom project as interior linemen in a 3-4 front. Even though they already had former first-round DT Bryan Bresee, not to mention backup DTs John Ridgeway and Khristian Boyd. Then they added another veteran interior DE in Jonah Williams. Then they used the 71st pick in the draft on another DT in Texas’ Vernon Broughton.

How and where could all of these pieces possibly fit?! And that doesn’t even include DEs like Chase Young, Carl Granderson and Isaiah Foskey, who are a little bigger than your traditional 3-4 outside linebackers. Then they added more traditional 3-4 edge rushers in veteran free agent Chris Rumph and seventh-round draft pick Fadil Diggs.

In case you lost count, that’s 14 defensive linemen just in that group I listed above. There’s no way they can all make the roster. Only about half of them can play significant roles this year.

As we said on Monday’s pod, one of the most important objectives should be to maximize Bresee’s potential, considering the talent and investment level – and the fact that he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet in his first two NFL seasons. The same is probably true for Young after such a big investment in free agency. And within a year or two, Broughton could join that group, considering they drafted him fairly high before addressing more glaring needs.

Ultimately, though, the most pressing need is for the Saints to turn all of this quantity into more quality than the position has produced in recent years.

2. OFFENSIVE LINE

There are fewer spots up for grabs here, but the stakes are higher considering almost everyone involved is a first-round draft pick.

Kelvin Banks just got done starting 42 games at left tackle for a mega-college program at Texas. Then he became the Saints’ highest draft pick in 17 years with the ninth overall pick. So he’s obviously the starting left tackle, right??

Well, not so fast. Because the Saints like the development they saw from last year’s No. 14 overall draft pick, Taliese Fuaga, who played right tackle in college before they moved him to left tackle as a rookie. So why fix what ain’t broke, right??

And there were several draft analysts who projected Banks might ultimately fit better at guard in the NFL. (Likewise, several draft analysts said the same about Fuaga.)

So that leaves the Saints with a choice between Banks and Fuaga at LT. A choice between Fuaga, Trevor Penning and possibly even Banks at RT. And a choice between newly-signed veteran Dillon Radunz, possibly Banks, possibly Fuaga, possibly Penning and possibly Nick Saldiveri among others at LG.

Yes, I agree with the company line and the longstanding NFL cliche’ that you start by getting the five best players on the field and figure the rest out later. But one further wrinkle in the Saints’ case is that this is a rebuilding team, whether they like it or not. So I’d personally like to see them make the best long-term plans for Banks and Fuaga – who need to become foundational pieces for the future – and fill out the spaces around them.

1. QUARTERBACK

No alignment questions here. Just pecking order. But this spot is an easy choice for No. 1 on this list because it’s the freaking quarterback position! And it might be a vacated one if Derek Carr has already played his last snap for the Saints.

The bet here is that we see an every-other-day type of rotation between rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough and second-year pro Spencer Rattler throughout OTAs and minicamp and possibly deep into training camp and the preseason.

Then again, that guess is based on what we saw from previous coaching staffs when it came to QB battles like Jameis vs. Taysom and Rattler vs. Haener. Now we have a new coaching staff and now we have the franchises’ highest-drafted quarterback in 54 years.

So we’re fascinated to learn as we go.