New Orleans Saints: Ranking the team’s top-three threats to their NFC throne

Finishing atop the NFC in 2019, the New Orleans Saints will attempt to again reign among the conference but it won’t be an easy feat.

Before they even entered the last of the NFL’s 17-week season, the New Orleans Saints already had the No. 1 seed in the NFC locked up. 13-2 through 16 weeks, the Saints lost Week 17, dropping to 13-3, still an NFC best.

Returning most of their contributors on both sides of the ball, the Saints main offseason transaction was the drafting of center Eric McKoy and the signing of Raiders tight end Jared Cook. Both are expected to start this upcoming season.

They’ll also still have their three-headed monster offensive. And, after being paid this offseason, Michael Thomas should be looking to explode. With Alvin Kamara and Drew Brees back at full strength, this offense is looking just as lethal as last season’s.

As for the rest of the conference, the upper echelon should stay at the top this season. Teams like Chicago, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Carolina, Atlanta, Dallas, and Philadelphia could all be strong contenders to secure that No. 1 seed in the NFC.

While some teams did improve, we won’t be seeing teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a run for the playoffs, or at least that’s the preseason though. That said, let’s dive into the few teams that can challenge the New Orleans Saints in the NFC.