Previewing The New Orleans Saints Key Defensive Players

The New Orleans Saints have several impact defenders the Las Vegas Raiders will need to account for on Monday Night Football.

The Las Vegas Raiders showed off their offensive firepower in their opening season win against the Carolina Panthers, scoring 34 points in a balanced effort.

They’ll be going up against a much more experienced defense in the New Orleans Saints. 

While they may be better known for their accomplished offense, they’ve also had an above-average defense the last three years.

Ranking in the top half of the league in points allowed during that time, the Saints have been able to find a nice consistency after ranking no higher than 28th from 2014-2016.

A big catalyst for that turnaround was the drafting of cornerback Marshon Lattimore in 2017. 

The former Ohio State buckeye provided instant lock-down playmaking, recording five interceptions in his rookie year and making two Pro Bowls in his first three seasons.

It hasn’t just been the youth in New Orleans though. Arguably the best player on their defense is defensive end Cameron Jordan, who has been on the team since 2011.

A five-time Pro Bowler and one-time First-Team All-Pro, Jordan has been around long enough to see the Saints' highs and lows. 

It’s been great timing for them though that they’ve become one of the league’s best teams again right as Jordan is hitting his prime.

Jordan has recorded 40.5 sacks the last three seasons, making three straight Pro Bowls. 

He’s been the one consistent pass rush presence for the Saints, good enough to be a terror all by himself.

The Saints also have All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis, who has had 110 or more total tackles and four or more sacks each if the the last two seasons.

Pro Bowl safety Malcolm Jenkins is also making his return to New Orleans.

Combined with supporting players like Marcus Davenport, Sheldon Rankins, Janoris Jenkins, and Marcus Williams, this could be the deepest defense of the last half-decade for the Saints.

It’s likely the Raiders are going to have to work on offense a lot more than they did against the Panthers. 

It should be one of the toughest defenses they face this season, but on a Monday night, the Raiders should have plenty of motivation to show their stuff. 

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