Saints Mid-Season Grades: Defense

The Saints News Network writers gives you our grades for the defense of the New Orleans Saints just past the midway point of the 2022 season.

Entering the 2022 season, the New Orleans Saints were expected to have an elite defensive until. Now halfway through the 18-week regular season, we've seen the Saints get pushed around in the running game, produce an inconsistent pass rush, be prone to big plays in the passing game, and miss tackles in bunches.

2022 Saints Defensive Statistics

 - 25.2 points per game (28th)
- 320.6 total yards (11th)
- 199.7 passing yards (9th)
- 120.9 rushing yards (19th)
- 7 turnovers/2 interceptions (29th)
- 22 sacks/42 QB hits
- 40 tackles for loss
- 37.1% 3rd Down Percentage (10th)

With eight games to go, here are our mid-season grades for the Saints defense from the Saints News Network.

Brendan Boylan 

New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner (20) breaks up a pass to Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White (29). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Headed into 2022 all the news from New Orleans Saints training camp raved about the Black and Gold defense. Some reports of such praise suggested that this year’s defense could rank among the best in team history. The product in the field has not been anywhere close to the hype.

With that said, the Saints defense has actually done a decent job of keeping New Orleans in multiple ball games. The problem has been when the offense performs the defense does not and vice-versa, excluding the Shutout of the Raiders.

The play of the new safety duo in the Saints secondary has been a let down so far. Along with the play of the defensive line outside of Cameron Jordan. 

This team has returned a lot of familiar faces from the dominant defense of years past and looks like a shell of itself. There is enough talent to flip that grade around, but big time defensive plays and performances need to happen soon.

Defensive Grade = C+

---

Kyle T. Mosley 

New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (27) breaks up a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens receiver Demarcus Robinson (10). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

At the midway point of 2022, the everso-bad NFC South gives hope for a New Orleans Saints (3-6) team who is one game out of first place in the division.

When you see Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Cam Jordan, and even the young Alontae Taylor playing with passion and intensity, it's not easy to digest how this unit allows 25.2 ppg (28th) and 320.6 ypg (11th).

Should Werner (ankle) see extended time from the lineup, the Saints defense will continue its struggles. 

Defensive Grade = C-

---

John Hendrix 

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) hits Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) as he throws. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

This was supposed to be the bread and butter for the Saints. The talent was and is there, but the execution isn't. A lot of hands are dirty in this, and it's baffling to see them struggle so much. We thought they'd be okay without C.J. Gardner-Johnson, but it couldn't be further from the truth.

That energy and passion is missed. New Orleans has been inconsistent, and the lack of turnovers are hurting. It doesn't all fall on the defense, but they were supposed to be much better and simply haven't been.

What also isn't ideal is wasting years for guys like Demario Davis and Cam Jordan. They have got it done and have looked strong, but when you have struggles like this, suddenly you have to look and assess everything. Will they be in the long-term plan?

Defensive Grade = D

---

Bob Rose

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56) gets ready for the play against the Carolina Panthers. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

There have been some positives. Linebackers Demario Davis and Pete Werner are playing passionate and efficient football worthy of an A-grade. Cam Jordan is having another Pro Bowl caliber year, while DE Marcus Davenport has also played well despite a lack of statistics.

Marshon Lattimore had a solid start to the year before injury. Rookie CB Alontae Taylor, in a small sample size, looks like he has a bright future.

Despite much of the same personnel, this is not the same dominant Saints defense that we saw from 2018 through 2021. It's a unit that's missed tackles at an astonishing rate because of poor technique and lazy effort. For the most part, the safeties and defensive tackles have been awful.

Most surprising, the Saints run defense has been extremely inconsistent. They were pushed around by inferior teams like Atlanta and Carolina and downright abused by backup linemen and third and fourth string backs from Arizona and Baltimore.

The defense still has the talent for a playoff push, with the healthy return of Lattimore. However, the effort, execution, and demeanor of the entire unit must drastically change from what we've seen through most of the first half of the year.

 Defensive Grade = D