New Orleans Saints Rookie Draft Class Grades From 2023

How did the Saints 2023 draft class fare compared to the rest of the NFL? Here is one national view.

The 2024 NFL Draft is a little over two months away. Several rookies make significant impacts for their teams every year. For the New Orleans Saints, their 2023 draft class did not have the contributions that were expected. Nevertheless, the rookie class as a whole did show some nice potential and made a bigger contribution down the stretch. 

While it is fair to wait a year or two to accurately grade a draft class, immediate impacts are also critical to a team's success. NFL.com draft analysts Eric Edholm and Chad Reuter ranked the performance of each team's 2023 draft class as a whole. Here's where they ranked the performance of the 2023 New Orleans rookies. 

New Orleans Saints 

Rank = 20

Edholm/Reuter Grade = C+

Round 1

• (No. 29) Bryan Bresee , DT | 17 games/0 starts

Round 2

• (40) Isaiah Foskey , DE | 10 games/0 starts

Round 3

• (71) Kendre Miller , RB | 8 games/0 starts

Round 4

• (103) Nick Saldiveri , OG | 4 games/0 starts
• (127) Jake Haener , QB | 0 games/starts

Round 5

• (146) Jordan Howden , S | 16 games/7 starts

Round 6

• (195) A.T. Perry , WR | 10 games/3 starts

Notable free agent signees

• Blake Grupe , K | 17 games
• Lou Hedley , P | 17 games

EDHOLM: Bresee didn't start any games but was a regular contributor in the Saints' DT rotation. He went through a bit of a lull around midseason, then picked it up late in the year, with three of his 4.5 sacks and five of his nine QB hits coming in December. Bresee might never be a star, but he improved as a run defender and should be a solid piece for years.

Howden started seven games as a rookie and was a pleasant surprise. He mostly played as the high safety but also moonlighted in the slot and as a box safety and was fairly dependable when called upon. One disappointment on defense was Foskey, who went three rounds higher than Howden but played more on special teams. After receiving some rotational snaps early on, Foskey was often inactive down the stretch with a quad injury. The Saints will expect more in 2024.

It was a redshirt type of season for Haener, who sat and watched behind Derek Carr, Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill and wasn't ever active. In order to guarantee a roster spot, he'll need to have a good offseason; last preseason, he struggled with accuracy and interceptions. Like Haener, Saldiveri didn't do much as a rookie. It might be telling that he didn't see the field more for a Saints team dealing with OL issues, although a shoulder injury did set him back.

The Saints' rookie kicking duo provided mixed results. Grupe went from feel-good story to the doghouse in a few months, missing some clutch kicks and losing kickoff distance throughout the season, but he finished strong (12-of-14 on field-goal attempts from Week 10 on) and didn't miss an extra point. Hedley followed a similar wave. The 30-year-old Aussie was busy (75 punts), thanks to a hot-and-cold Saints offense, and was brought in as a directional kicker; he pinned 41.3% of his punts inside the 20 and allowed the second-fewest return yards (168) among 17-game punters. But when the Saints were backed up, Hedley's lack of leg strength showed; he's not a field-flipper.

New Orleans Saints receiver A.T. Perry (17) catches a touchdown pass over Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7). Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Edholm ranked Saints rookies third in the NFC South, just ahead of a D+ grade given to the Carolina Panthers.  The Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were both assigned B- grades. Only the Vikings (C), Giants (C-), Panthers, 49ers (D+), Cowboys (D+), and Washington (D+) were graded lower than New Orleans among NFC teams.

It's hard to argue. Bresee had a marvelous rookie campaign and looks like a potential All-Pro. However, Foskey, Saldiveri, and Haener contributed nothing. A redshirt year was expected for Haener, but he further stunted his own development with a six-game suspension to start the regular season. Saldiveri saw the field for just 18 offensive snaps, despite major issues along the offensive front all year.

Foskey was perhaps the most disappointing. Injuries and ineffectiveness limited him to only 83 defensive snaps in 10 games. This for a defense that managed only 35 sacks, fourth fewest in the NFL, and just 70 tackles for loss.

While it's too early to call Foskey a bust, his minimal contribution leaves the Saints with a big decision this offseason. Either the team takes yet another edge rusher early in the draft, or they gamble that Foskey and often-injured 2021 first-round choice Payton Turner develop to their expectations. 

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (25) runs against the Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY

Another question is whether Jordan Howden showed enough at safety to make veteran Marcus Maye a potential cap casualty. Safety is an underrated need for the Saints, but perhaps less so if coaches believe in Howden's upside.

Miller finally stayed healthy enough to flash explosive potential to end the season. Perry showed why several analysts projected him for a Day 2 pick last season. Both should be a big part of the New Orleans offense in 2024.

The ceiling for the 2023 Saints Draft Class remains much higher than they showed as rookies. Their progress is mainly dependent on continued development from Bresee, Miller, Howden, and Perry, but also a rapid progression from Foskey.