Saints' Offensive Line Struggles: Can They Overcome NFC South's New Threats?

Disaster may be awaiting the Saints as several teams early on their schedule improved where New Orleans appears to be the weakest.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) sacked against the Green Bay Packers / Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

There were several concerns surrounding the New Orleans Saints heading into this year's training camp. The biggest issue was along the offensive line, which was one of the worst in the NFL last season.

In 2023, the Saints ranked 21st in rushing production, with their 3.6 per carry being the second worst in the league. They gave up 35 sacks, but QB Derek Carr was usually under heavy duress and often forced to get rid of the ball before routes developed.

Gone from last year's line are Andrus Peat, James Hurst, Max Garcia, Cameron Erving, and Trai Turner. Unfortunately, RT Ryan Ramczyk will also miss all of this season with a knee injury.

The Saints addressed the line with a heavy priority this offseason. They drafted OT Taliese Fuaga in the first round, OT Josiah Ezirim in the seventh, and added Lucas Patrick, Shane Lemieux, Oli Udoh, and Justin Herron (now out for the year with injury) in free agency.

Will it be enough?

Taysom Hill (7) of the New Orleans Saints is pressured by the Philadelphia Eagles defense / James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

So far, the outlook seems bleak. Trevor Penning, a 2022 first-round pick who was benched at left tackle last year, still looks like a liability after a move to right tackle. Neither Udoh or Landon Young look like a viable solution should Penning continue to be a liability.

Patrick has been solid throughout his career. However, neither he, Lemieux, or Nick Saldiveri have separated themselves to take control of the competition at left guard. Cesar Ruiz, a 2020 first-round pick, has always been extremely inconsistent (at best) from his left guard spot.

New Orleans has a tough schedule to open the year. Their Week 2 opponent, the Dallas Cowboys, had 46 sacks last year. Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons has 40.5 sacks, 89 QB hits, and 51 tackles for loss over his three-year career. The Philadelphia Eagles, their Week 3 foe, are just a year removed from a 70-sack year, still have a lot of talent up front, ranked 10th against the run last season, and are now led by outstanding defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

New Orleans visits Kansas City in Week 5. As if facing Patrick Mahomes isn't difficult enough, the Chiefs had the league's second ranked defense last year. Kansas City had 57 sacks last season, second in the NFL, and are led by an outstanding inside-outside pass rush duo of Chris Jones and George Karlaftis. The Chargers (Week 8) figure to have a much better defense under new coach Jim Harbaugh and have a lethal edge rushing duo of Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa.

As if all this wasn't bad enough, each of the Saints' NFC South foes also made significant improvements to be more disruptive up front.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) pressures New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) / Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

The Buccaneers won the division a year ago with a 9-8 finish, beating New Orleans on a tiebreaker. Tampa Bay ranked fifth against the run in 2023, the fourth time in the last five years that held a top-5 ranking in that category. They also managed 48 sacks and 84 QB hits, often creating havoc in opposing backfields.

Tampa Bay lost edge rusher Shaq Barrett and ILB Devin White this offseason. However, the Buccaneers still have imposing DT Vita Vea to collapse blocking in the middle and used a second-round choice on Alabama edge rusher Chris Braswell. Additionally, recent high draft picks like Yaya Diaby, Calijah Kancey, Logan Hall, and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka have flashed tons of promise and are expected to thrive in bigger roles this season.

Led by defensive-minded head coach Todd Bowles, the Buccaneers will undoubtedly continue to be solid on this side of the ball. Their strength is up front, where they overwhelm teams with their depth and athleticism.

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Lorenzo Carter (9) sacks New Orleans Saints quarterback Andy Dalton (14) / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta, who went 7-10 last season, quietly finished with the league's 11th ranked defense and eighth against the pass. They didn't have many standouts up front, but consider that their 42 sacks and 98 QB hits were both more than the respected New Orleans defense recorded. Their defense is expected to be even more aggressive under new head coach Raheem Morris, a defensive specialist.

Grady Jarrett's best football may be behind him, but the mammoth defensive lineman can still make plays. Former Saints DT David Onyemata and LB Kaden Elliss can certainly create disruption. More will be expected from 2023 third-round choice Zach Harrison up front, but Arnold Ebiketie and Lorenzo Carter are underrated pass rushers from the edge.

Atlanta's thin and questionable front seven got a major boost with a key trade this week. The Falcons traded for Matthew Judon, bringing him over from the New England Patriots. Judon, 32, made the Pro Bowl for four straight years before injuries limited him to just four games last season. In those four games, he had four sacks and nine QB hits. Over the previous two seasons, Judon combined for 28 sacks and 53 QB hits.

Carolina Panthers

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) looks to pass as Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) pressures / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina was abysmal last season, but still managed to have the league's fourth ranked defense and third against the pass. In true Panthers logic, however, they traded away some of their top defensive stars while letting others walk in free agency as they concentrated on rebuilding a woefully inept offensive unit.

Perhaps the defensive changes were also made mindful of the fact that Carolina managed a paltry 27 sacks last year. This year's squad will have the same coordinator in Ejiro Evero, but many different faces among the players.

One face back is DT Derrick Brown, who has blossomed into what Carolina hoped for when they selected him seventh overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. A'Shawn Robinson was added in free agency to join Brown up front, but is more of a run stuffer than a pass rush specialist. The Panthers expect to get most of their pass rush disruption from the edge. Free agent spending added D.J. Wonnum, Jadeveon Clowney, and K'Lavon Chaisson on the outside. Clowney and Wonnum combined for 17.5 sacks a year ago.

New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning (70) blocks against the Carolina Panthers / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Rookie LT Taliese Fuaga looks like a big find for the Saints. However, there are still major concerns with Penning at right tackle, Ruiz at right guard, and the left guard spot. Those questions were only amplified by a poor performance by the line throughout camp and in last week's preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.

New Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has traditionally wanted to establish balance with the running game. However, this is something that New Orleans often failed to do in critical moments last season. Keeping Carr upright and able to deliver the ball to weapons like Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed is also obviously crucial to offensive success.

The Saints face several game-changing edge rushers over the first half of their schedule. This is also an area where their division foes in the NFC South focused this offseason. New Orleans faces NFC South teams five times in their first 10 games. Penning, Ruiz, Patrick, Saldiveri, and the rest of the offensive line must show drastic improvement, and quickly. If not, then this will be a lost season before the calendar turns to November for the Saints.