Ranking Saints needs: It’s not a matter of ‘if’’ but ‘how many’ defensive linemen
March 11, 2024 · 6 min read
Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee is one of few building blocks the Saints have on the defensive line. Stephen Lew / USA Today
Ranking Saints needs: It’s not a matter of if New Orleans upgrades its D-line but rather how heavily they invest
Ranking the pass rush as the New Orleans Saints’ No. 1 need is the easy part.
Filling it is much more difficult — as the Saints have proved over the past five years, using a total of three first-round draft picks on defensive ends Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner with neither panning out.
The Saints also used their first- and second-round picks on defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and DE Isaiah Foskey last year. So they know how imperative it is to replenish their talent across the line, with longtime star Cameron Jordan turning 35 this summer. But they still need more building blocks to go along with Bresee and DE Carl Granderson.
Throw in the fact that New Orleans’ run defense has wilted over the past two years, and it's like the headline of this story says: It’s not a matter of if the Saints need to make their D-line a major priority in both free agency and the draft, but how many major investments they need to make.
The Walkthrough, Episode 2:-What will the Saints do in free agency?-What tier will they shop in?-Who are the best offensive line fits in the draft?-Hacking the drafthttps://t.co/CKSBRcCIKT— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) March 8, 2024
We’ve been breaking down each of the Saints’ needs by position as we count down to the start of free agency. As a reminder, they entered this offseason about $73 million over the salary cap, which was set recently at $255.4 million per team. And they had the oldest roster in the NFL last season based on snaps played.
However, they have a relatively manageable list of free agents. So they could afford to bring back their entire lineup if they wanted through their usual method of contract restructures. Or, they could even upgrade in a few key spots.
No. 1 DEFENSIVE LINE
Current depth chart:
DE Cameron Jordan. Age 34. Signed through 2025.
DE Carl Granderson. Age 27. Signed through 2027.
DE Tanoh Kpassagnon. Age 29. Signed through 2024.
DE Payton Turner. Age 26. Signed through 2024, eligible for fifth-year option for 2025.
DE Isaiah Foskey. Age 23. Signed through 2026.
DE Kyle Phillips. Age 26. Unrestricted free agent.
DE Niko Lalos. Age 26. Signed through 2024.
DT Bryan Bresee. Age 22. Signed through 2026, eligible for fifth-year option for 2027.
DT Nathan Shepherd. Age 30. Signed through 2025.
DT Khalen Saunders. Age 27. Signed through 2025.
DT Malcolm Roach. Age 25. Unrestricted free agent.
DT Jack Heflin. Turned 26 on March 8. Signed through 2024.
DT P.J. Mustipher. Age 24. Exclusive rights free agent.
DT John Penisini. Age 26. Signed through 2024.
🆕: Tyrann Mathieu and other Saints who could be extended📌: What does the future hold for Michael Thomas?📌: Has Rashid Shaheed become too valuable on offense to return kicks?🔗: https://t.co/zKg4Rn977A pic.twitter.com/ceY61YoFp3— NOF (@nofnetwork) March 8, 2024
Analysis: From everyone we have talked to, it sounds like the Saints will show some spending restraint in free agency once the legal tampering window opens today at 11 a.m. CT. Even though they don’t allow themselves to be paralyzed by the salary cap, they are still trying to catch up gradually from the cap space that was lost following COVID-19. So it doesn’t sound like they are prepared to break the bank for an elite free agent like Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins or Vikings DE Danielle Hunter.
But if the Saints are going to spend anywhere in Tier 2 or Tier 3 of free agency, the pass rush should be their main area of focus.
Obviously, It would be great for the Saints to land a talented edge rusher like Alabama’s Dallas Turner, UCLA’s Laiatu Latu or Florida State’s Jared Verse in Round 1 of the NFL Draft. (And no, I wouldn’t stop trying to hit on a DE just because the last few picks haven’t panned out at that position).
Missouri’s Darius Robinson, Penn State’s Chop Robinson and Alabama’s Chris Braswell are among some possibilities who could slip into Round 2.
Both coach Dennis Allen and assistant general manager Jeff Ireland have talked this offseason about a willingness to add some smaller, faster edge rushers into the mix to supplement the bigger defensive lineman prototypes they prefer. So their pool of options could be a tad deeper than usual.
However, the problem with using the draft as a D-line solution is that the need has grown too urgent.
To me, this is the No. 1 must in free agency, in particular, because the Saints need an instant upgrade. And they can’t risk missing out on a top target like Turner or reaching for a prospect who needs a year or two to develop.
Members Only podcast: Dissecting the best contract values on Saints' defense@KevinWashJr busted out the spreadsheet for this one! And we figured out our grading scale as we went through the process ...https://t.co/DFoXW0465J— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) March 7, 2024
Ideally, they could land a young up-and-coming free agent like Texans 26-year-old DE Jonathan Greenard who could both fortify the 2024 roster and be part of the next generation. Other younger options include the Jets’ Bryce Huff, the 49ers’ Chase Young and the Patriots’ Josh Uche, though each comes with more questions regarding fit or an inconsistent track record. A cheaper option that fits the right age and mold is Bills DE A.J. Epenesa. And maybe even a reunion could be considered with Davenport, whose injury woes continued to plague him in Minnesota last year, but whose price tag should be incredibly low as a result.
Several veterans in their 30s could fill some immediate holes — but wouldn’t necessarily provide long-term solutions — including DEs Za’Darius Smith and Jadeveon Clowney or DTs Leonard Williams, D.J. Reader, Fletcher Cox and DaQuan Jones.
Nick has suggested a few times that it shouldn't cost much to sign a big nose tackle who can help the run defense by rotating in with Bresee, Shepherd and Saunders. Maybe someone like Jones or recently released former Jaguars DT Foley Fatukasi could fit that bill. The Saints could also look to re-sign Roach, who was off to a good start in 2023 before suffering a knee injury in early December.
One way or another, though, the Saints must start shoring up their defensive line over the next week or two.
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