Saints: Khalen Saunders' No. 1 Priority Is To Stop The Run

Could Khalen Saunders become a full-time performer on the Saints defensive line in 2023?

New Orleans still has plenty of unanswered questions as they sort through at defensive tackle during training camp.  During 2021, the defense permitted only one team to rush for over 150 yards in a game.  In Week 11 against Philadelphia, the Eagles rushed for 242 yards.  Last season, the Saints surrendered six 150+ rushing yard games to opponents.  The line required changes.

Dennis Allen allowed veteran defensive linemen David Onyemata (Atlanta) and Shy Tuttle (Carolina) to sign with NFC South foes.  Loomis signed Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd to free-agent contracts in a counter move.   New Orleans added Clemson's Bryan Bresee as the team's 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.]  Also, this offseason, they re-signed three-year defensive lineman Malcolm Roach to a 1-year, $1.01M deal with incentives.

New Orleans defensive tackles were abysmal last season. The position contributed just 14.5 of the team’s 94 sacks the last two years and was primarily responsible for a plummet to 24th against the run in 2022.  Bob Rose, Saints News Network

DEFENSIVE TACKLE KHALEN SAUNDERS

Our attention turns to Khalen Saunders, who played college football at Western Illinois University for head coach Myers Hendrickson.  As an FCS All-America, Saunders notched 18 sacks, 34.5 TFLs, and 205 tackles for the Leathernecks.  The Chiefs selected him during the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and claimed two Super Bowl championship titles in 2020 and 2023.

"I'm more of a run player," Saunders told the media. "Big body. I definitely use violence in my hands and stuff like that. And then also just athleticism, raw athleticism."

Saunders' college coach, Myers Hendrickson, of Western Illinois University, has flipped his allegiance from the Chiefs to the Saints fan after Saunders signed his three-year, $14.5M contract with New Orleans.

"He has already accomplished so much, winning two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs and making a huge impact on their organization," Hendrickson said.  "We have an outstanding tradition here with WIU football, and our alumni and supporters are very proud of Khalen.  It has been a lot of fun watching his success in the NFL, and I am officially now a big New Orleans Saints fan.  We look forward to following his career."

Starting on July 25th at training camp, the two-time Super Bowl winner will compete with veteran linemen Nathan Shephard, Bryan Bresee, Malcolm Roach, Prince Emili, Jack Heflin, and rookies Bryan Bresee and Jerron Cage for training camp reps.

Saunders, 26, is a five-year veteran with five career starts, 81 tackles, 4.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and two passes defended.  He and his wife Ayanna have a daughter.