Saints Roster Evaluation According to National Site

Read where a national site believes that the Saints roster ranks in regard to the rest of the NFL.

The New Orleans Saints have had a busy offseason. New Orleans missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year and finished with double-digit losses (7-10) for the first time since 2005. In response, they were highly aggressive on both sides of the ball. 

The Saints aggressively added 32-year-old QB Derek Carr to lead the offense. They also brought in 1,000-yard rusher Jamaal Williams to complement the dynamic Alvin Kamara in the backfield. Third-round pick Kendre Miller could be a draft steal, and defenses can never forget about the bruising and versatile Taysom Hill. 

A multidimensional backfield will join a strong cast of pass catchers that includes wideouts Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, and Rashid Shaheed along with TE Juwan Johnson and newly signed Foster Moreau. The Saints also have a potentially dominant offensive line, but one plagued by injuries the last few years. 

The improved firepower is expected to cause the Saints to rise significantly out of the doldrums, where they've dwelled the last three seasons offensively. This could potentially be the team’s most talented offensive group since the prime of QB Drew Brees. 

Nov 13, 2022; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) is stopped by New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56). Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Defensively, New Orleans finished fifth overall and second against the pass, but plummeted to 24th against the run. Defensive-minded head coach Dennis Allen returns. However, the unit will have a new coordinator (Joe Woods), new defensive line coach (Todd Grantham), and new secondary coach (Marcus Robertson).

The Saints also revamped a disappointing defensive tackle position with first-round choice Bryan Bresee and free-agent additions Nate Shepherd and Khalen Saunders. Isaiah Foskey, their second-round pick, will look to replace Marcus Davenport at defensive end. New Orleans also has tons of talent returning on this side of the ball. 

Cameron Jordan, LB Demario Davis, CB Marshon Lattimore, and S Tyrann Mathieu are among the league's best at their positions. Rising stars like CBs Alontae Taylor and Paulson Adebo, LB Pete Werner, and DE Carl Granderson join reliable veterans S Marcus Maye, CB Bradley Roby, and DE Tanoh Kpassagnon to form a deep and potentially elite unit.

In an article for Pro Football Focus on June 26, writers Dalton Wasserman and Jim Wyman collaborated to rank the complete NFL rosters from 1 to 32.

Nov 27, 2022; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) runs after a catch against the San Francisco 49ers. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Wasserman and Wyman ranked the Saints roster at Number 19 in the league. They said this about their ''evaluations''.

19. New Orleans Saints 

Biggest strength in 2023: Passing Offense

Andy Dalton shockingly finished 2022 with an 81.0 passing grade, sixth best in the NFL. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed look like foundational pieces moving forward, as well. The Saints' offense looked much better than expected given that Dalton wasn’t the starter to open the season and Michael Thomas appeared in only three games, and they were in the NFC South race through Week 17 — primarily due to Dalton’s effort. If Derek Carr can post similar numbers, New Orleans should have the best offense in the NFC South in 2023.

Biggest weakness in 2023: Offensive and Defensive Lines

The Saints ranked 26th in both pass-blocking and run-blocking grades. The defensive line graded out as the fourth-worst pass-rushing unit in the NFL. For years, the Saints were loaded with talent up front on both sides of the ball. That talent has slowly eroded away. Age has started to catch up with a few guys (Cam Jordan, Andrus Peat), while younger players (Trevor Penning, Cesar Ruiz) need to step up.

X-Factor for 2023: T Trevor Penning

The jury is still out on Penning after he played just 124 snaps in his rookie season. He showed flashes of his natural aggressiveness, posting an 80.2 run-blocking grade. His 38.7 pass-blocking grade is ugly, but it rises to 56.2 if you discard an ugly first appearance against San Francisco. Penning has talent and could change the look of this offensive line if he holds up well in pass protection. He’ll have to compete with James Hurst (63.2 overall), but the opportunity is there for the taking.

Rookie to watch: Bryan Bresee

New Orleans’ first-round pick is the most talented defensive tackle on the team's roster. A generational recruit at Clemson, Bresee never quite lived up to the hype. He needs some refinement to his technique and better health moving forward. However, he has the physical skills to be a foundational piece inside for the Saints.

Over/Under 9.5 win total: Under

The Saints have major issues in the trenches, and

Derek Carr

has a mediocre grading profile over the past year and a half. Is the switch from

Andy Dalton

to Carr worth three wins? Will

Alvin Kamara

be suspended to start the season? Can

Michael Thomas

stay on the field? The Saints are closer to the Falcons’ talent level than many think. The division will likely be won with eight or nine wins. It's hard to see any team winning 10.

Jun 13, 2023; New Orleans Saints running backs Alvin Kamara (41), Jamaal Williams (30), and Kendre Miller (33) during minicamp at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY

PFF has disrespected or overlooked nearly every aspect of the New Orleans roster all offseason. Their collective observation skills need to be seriously questioned. Forget overlooking or undervaluing this team's immense talent; they failed to even consider the impact of Alontae Taylor, Saunders, Kpassagnon, Miller, and Moreau.

To be fair, PFF did bring up some legitimate issues or concerns about the Saints in the last segment from Wasserman and Wyman. Those are serious questions that need to be answered quickly if the Saints are to be legitimate contenders and make most national publications look foolish. 

Despite the somewhat lazy ''evaluation'', PFF actually has New Orleans as a slight favorite to win the NFC South.

The roster of the Carolina Panthers was ranked at Number 24, with a projected win total of over 7.5 games. PFF had the Atlanta Falcons ranked at Number 26 with a projected win total of under 8.5. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came in at Number 28 and a projected win total of under 6.5 games.