Saints Face Big Decision About One of Their Defensive Stars

Despite a down year by the entire defensive tackle position, the best financial move for New Orleans might be to make a hard push to re-sign this interior defender.

Bob Rose | Mar 9, 2023

Saints Face Big Decision About One of Their Defensive Stars /

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New Orleans Saints

Little was known about University of Manitoba defensive lineman David Onyemata when the New Orleans Saints selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Born in Nigeria, Onyemata had never even played football before enrolling at Manitoba.

Considered a project because of his tremendous strength and freakish athleticism, the raw tackle still made the roster and appeared in all 16 games as a rookie. Onyemata developed rapidly, and by his second year was a vital part of the interior rotation.

The 6'4" and 300-Lb. Onyemata was a monstrous presence up front. From 2018 to 2020, he recorded 14 sacks, 54 pressures, and 17 tackles for loss. He outplayed DT Sheldon Rankins, who was the team’s first-round draft choice in 2016. The Saints even decided to sign Onyemata to a three-year contract extension after the 2020 campaign, electing to let Rankins leave in free agency.

Onyemata was suspended six games by the NFL to start 2021 for violation of the league's substance abuse policy. Upon his return, he didn't show the dominance he had the previous three years, but was quietly effective down the stretch of the season.

Onyemata entered 2022 in the last year of his contract. New Orleans left 2022 with a big decision to make about him.

David Onyemata

Saints Year-In-Review

Onyemata and the rest of the New Orleans defense started the season on their heels. Bitter rival Atlanta Falcons rolled up 416 yards of total offense on the Saints, including an eye-popping 201 on the ground, even though New Orleans prevailed on opening day. Onyemata was in on just one assisted tackle and had no pressures in the game.

The New Orleans run defense had dominated the league from 2018-2021, but was surprisingly vulnerable last season. At the crux of those issues was the defensive tackle position. Onyemata and fellow tackles Malcolm Roach, Shy Tuttle, and Kentavius Street were regularly pushed around by opposing running games all year.

To make matters worse, the Saints' defensive tackles were all but invisible as pass rushers. The lack of interior pressure allowed quarterbacks to step up in the pocket without a blitzing linebacker, and away from the team’s edge rush.

Over the first seven games, Onyemata had just a half sack, only five QB pressures, and a mere ten tackles. He wasn't the only one who struggled. New Orleans allowed an average of nearly 29 points and over 123 yards rushing over those seven contests.

The 30-year-old Onyemata turned it on over the last half of the year. He recorded a sack in three consecutive games between weeks 8 and 10, added 1.5 more sacks in the final three weeks, and gathered 33 tackles over the last nine contests.

Onyemata finished up his seventh NFL season with 5 sacks and 43 total tackles, including a career-high 25 solo stops. His 13 pressures were the worst of his career, with only five of his tackles going for loss.

The Saints got 11.5 sacks and 24 QB hits from their defensive tackles in 2022. Five of those sacks and 11 QB hits came from Onyemata, who was still the team’s most disruptive interior defender.

New Orleans needs a big upgrade at defensive tackle this offseason. Onyemata, Tuttle, and Street are all free agents, leaving the team with even bigger decisions.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Gardner Minshew (10) is sacked by New Orleans Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata (93). Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Because of a restructure that added voidable years onto his contract, Onyemata will be a $10.2 million cap hit for the Saints in 2023 whether he plays for them or not. Spotrac.com estimates that Onyemata's next contract will be around a $9.6 million annual average.

The best financial option for New Orleans may be to re-sign Onyemata if they can. Doing so would lock up a player that they'll be paying anyway, plus allow them to structure a new deal to save them more cap room.

Yes, the Saints certainly need to upgrade their defensive tackle spot this offseason. However, David Onyemata is still a quality player against the run and the pass. Don't be surprised if the Saints bring him back in 2023, where he could be an even more effective player with a high draft choice beside him.

David Onyemata

Saints Year-In-Review

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