Saints Predicted To Acquire Dynamic 17-Sack EDGE To Pair With Chase Young

Somehow, New Orleans has to start pressuring opposing QBs...

Sep 8, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) scrambles to make a pass as New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) rushes at him during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints re-signed Chase Young, but that alone won't solve their defensive woes.

While the Saints ranked in the middle of the pack as a team with 39 total sacks, they were 30th in pass-rush win rate at 31 percent. They also ranked 30th in run-stopping win rate at 28 percent, so teams could pretty much beat their defensive line however they wanted.

Young is now getting paid big money on a team with payroll issues (three-year contract for $51 million), so finding someone to pair with him on the edge would be a good objective for the Saints to tackle in the upcoming NFL Draft.

One NFL writer believes they can land college football's national sacks leader with their first selection.

In a recent mock draft, Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network predicted that the Saints would draft Marshall defensive end Mike Green with the number-nine pick in the first round.

"As good as Mike Green is as a pass rusher (59 pressures and 17 sacks in '24) with an advanced repertoire, his ability as a run defender is what moves the needle and remains a really underrated part of his game," Fowler wrote.

"Don't base your evaluation on the decal on his helmet... he's the complete package at the position."

Green, who was only a sophomore in 2024, ended the season with 81 total tackles, nearly double his total from the 2023 campaign. He's got a wiry frame at 6-foot-4, 248-pounds, so he might become even more dynamic as he continues to fill out.

The only slight question is competition, because the offensive lines Green was facing at Marshall weren't particularly close to NFL quality. But if the Saints believe he can become a difference-maker, it's tempting to take this swing to create a dynamic pass-rush duo with Young.

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