Best Young Players On Saints Roster To Build Around For 2025

It's been a rough year for the Saints, but these young talents have at least shown the makings of a youthful nucleus for the future.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) against the Kansas City Chiefs / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

It hasn't been the best of years for the New Orleans Saints. A season that began with a ton of promise saw the Saints win their first two games by a combined score of 91-29. However, the year quickly tumbled into an abyss of injuries and dismal outcomes.

New Orleans followed that two-game opener with a seven-game losing streak, tying the second longest in franchise history during a season. The seventh of those losses, a defeat at Carolina, resulted in the firing of coach Dennis Allen. It was just the fourth time the Saints fired a coach during the season in their 58-year history and the first since Tom Benson bought the team in 1986.

Injuries have decimated the Saints all year. Going into a Week 16 game at the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans has a lengthy list of offensive talent that will be sidelined. Star RB Alvin Kamara isn't expected to play, costing the Saints their most consistent performer this season by far.

If that's the case, he'll join QB Derek Carr, WRs Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, along with Taysom Hill as players who will miss the game. Most of this list, along with injured CB Paulson Adebo, has missed several outings for the Saints. They have also played several games without multiple starting offensive linemen up front.

The Saints are an aging team with a lack of depth in several spots that were further exposed by injuries. That being said, there are several young players in place that will play major roles going forward as the team rebuilds its roster.

Taliese Fuaga, LT

New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga (75) blocks Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie (17) / neworleanssaints.com

Drafted with the 14th overall choice, Fuaga was a 1st Team All-American and two-time All-Pac 12 selection at right tackle for Oregon State. New Orleans moved him to left tackle, where he has firmly cemented himself as a building block for the future.

Fuaga has had some growing pains, to be sure. Not surprising, considering he's a rookie and basically learning a new position. However, you can make a strong argued that he's been the team's best lineman and has also shown the ability to dominate opponents.

On a line that has been battered by injuries, Fuaga has played 98% of the Saints offensive snaps. Despite a revolving door of guards next to him because of injuries, he's quickly developing into one of the league's best young blockers.

Just 22, Fuaga looks like the long-term answer at a left tackle spot that's been vulnerable since Terron Armstead left after the 2021 campaign. His combination of power, technique, and agility has already allowed him to dominate pass rushers and blow open holes for the running game.

Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB

New Orleans Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (14) breaks up a pass to Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

A surprise second-round selection out of Alabama, it was widely thought that McKinstry was more a pick for the future rather than the present. A season-ending injury to Paulson Adebo along with injuries and a subsequent trade of Marshon Lattimore pushed that future into the now.

Pressed into far more action than anticipated, McKinstry has responded with precisely the abilities that earned him a first-round grade. He's actually been at least as stout in coverage as Alontae Taylor, the team's other standout corner.

The 22-year-old McKinstry has broken up five throws and gives up 66.7% completion percentage when targeted. Not standout numbers, but he's had some ups and downs you'd expect from a rookie corner. He's also shown the traits of a lock down player in coverage and has more than held his own against some of the better receivers in the league one-on-one.

Expect McKinstry to improve exponentially going into his second season. His abilities even as a rookie helped prompt a trade of Lattimore and could make the Saints feel like they don't necessarily have to pay big money to pending free agent Adebo.

Kendre Miller, RB

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (25) powers for yardage against the New York Giants / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

With Alvin Kamara (groin) likely to sit out Monday night, the 22-year-old Miller will be the featured back for the Saints. There is no doubting the talent of the second-year back, but he's never been the focus of the attack.

Additionally, Miller has never stayed in the lineup long enough to show whether he can truly flourish. Because of injuries, he's played in only 12 of a possible 31 games since being drafted in the third round out of TCU. In those 14 contests, Miller has only played 20 or more offensive snaps five times.

Kamara will undoubtedly continue to be the focal point of the New Orleans offense in 2025. However, the Saints may find adding a complementary back a major need in the offseason. Miller has been unreliable, Taysom Hill has also shown a penchant for getting banged up, and Jamaal Williams has shown virtually nothing in his two years with New Orleans.

Kendre Miller could go a long way in reducing that need over the last three games. He's run with good power, impressive burst, decent vision, and underrated receiving ability. Now, he needs to show that he can stay on the field while handling an increased workload.

Trevor Penning, RT

New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning (70) leads a running play against the Carolina Panthers / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Easily the most improved Saints player of 2024 has been Penning, a 2022 first-round pick. A foot injury limited an already raw prospect to just six games and one start as a rookie.

Installed as the starting left tackle in 2023, Penning was a downright disaster. He was benched after the sixth game and saw only 13 offensive snaps through the final 11 contests for a struggling unit. Entering 2024, many had already given up on him and wrote him off as one of the biggest busts in team history.

Moved to right tackle after the drafting of Fuaga, Penning has appeared to have finally found a home. His extremely poor agility still makes him a massive liability in pass protection at times, though it's not quite as evident on the right side.

Penning's raw strength and power, especially as a run blocker, is much more clear with the change in position.
The Saints seem to have finally found a pair of bookend tackle for the first time since the Armstead/Ryan Ramczyk pairing from 2017 to 2021.

Penning, only 25 and still on his rookie contract, has shown enough improvement as a pass protector and has developed into a force for the running game. It may even be enough for the Saints to pick up his fifth year option or work out a contract extension in the near future.

Alontae Taylor, CB

New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) celebrates a play against the Philadelphia Eagles / USA TODAY SPORTS

Like McKinstry, Taylor was also a bit of a surprising second-round selection, with his being in 2022 out of Tennessee. Over his first two years, he was a vital part of one of the better defensive backfields in the league.

This season, there was little argument that Taylor was the defensive MVP on an otherwise awful unit over the first half of the year. He was actually one of the NFL's most disruptive defenders, lining up in several different spots to create havoc for opposing offenses.

A physical tone-setter, Taylor has 4 sacks, seven tackles for loss, and has forced two fumbles while leading the team in solo tackles. As injuries mounted in the secondary, he was forced to play more of a traditional cornerback role.

Taylor, 25, has a team-high 13 passes broken up and has allowed a serviceable 62% completion rate in man coverage. He's had some breakdowns, but has the athleticism and physicality to excel in both man and off-ball coverage. Most importantly, Taylor is a bonafide playmaker that the defense can build around as they revamp their unit around him and McKinstry.

The 5-9 Saints clearly have several roster issues to address this offseason. With Fuaga, McKinstry, Penning, Taylor, and injured young wideouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans at least has the makings of a youthful nucleus to not start from complete scratch.