Saints Signing DT Khalen Saunders

In a relatively quick span, the Saints have addressed some of their holes on the defensive line.

John Hendrix | Mar 15, 2023

Saints Signing DT Khalen Saunders /

In this story:

New Orleans Saints

The Saints were in need of revamping their defensive interior after losing some key players to other teams and having others set to hit free agency. They've now added two, with the second being Khalen Saunders. The news was first reported by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, and is a three-year deal worth up to $14.5 million.

Saunders, a 6-foot, 324-pound interior lineman, is fresh off a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs and is a two-time champion since being a third-round pick back in 2019. He had a sack and two tackles against the Eagles in the game. Saunders had a career-high 3.5 sacks, 48 total tackles, and 8 QB hits last season, appearing in 16 games for Kansas City.

New Orleans also added Nathan Shepherd, formerly of the Jets. This now gives them three defensive tackles on the roster, joining Prince Emili on the interior. Expect the Saints to keep looking here, and it isn't entirely out of the question to see them look to the draft at picks 29 and 40.

Read More Saints News

Published Mar 15, 2023

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net