Saints top all other franchises with 3 of top 25 under-25 stars

CBS Sports released their top-25 stars under 25 years old, and the Saints topped all other franchises with three of the 25 on the list.

If you’ve been watching the Saints over the last few seasons, this really doesn’t come as a shock. Finishing 13-3 a season ago, the team is led by some of the game’s best, up-and-coming young players.

While the ranking didn’t include rookies, the Saints will have another stellar draft class inbound. That said, a few Saints like Ryan Ramczyk barely missed the cut because of their game. However, several of the team’s most recent draft picks did crack the top 25.

The Saints were the only team with three players ranked, although they weren’t able to get anyone ranked with the top 15, somewhat due to the positions they play.

Set up well for the future, the three-time defending NFC South championships will look to be just as dominant this season. They’ll only be as good as they’ve been by the contributions of these three young guns.

That being said, let’s dive into the rankings.

At No. 25 was Saints’ safety Marcus Williams. Here is what Sean Wagner-McGough said on the young defensive back. This is just an excerpt and the full portion and article can be read here.

"“Despite snagging 10 interceptions during his first three seasons (tied for the fifth-most in that span among safeties), it still feels like Williams is underrated. This past season, he posted a career high in passes defended with 13 (he had 10 in his previous two seasons combined) and finished as Pro Football Focus’ third-highest graded safety.”More from Who Dat Dish4 Saints who will prove fans wrong during the 2022 seasonOnly one player has better odds to win CPOTY over Jameis Winston3 teams that Jameis Winston can torch with his arm in 2022Bradley Roby sees Super Bowl comparisons in New Orleans SaintsSaints Training Camp: 5 players who had us talking after Day 9"

He did put later on that the Minnesota Miracle is the blemish many go to when holistically looking at Williams’ career. It’s sad that had to happen, but it should continue to push Williams to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.

Next, we say Alvin Kamara ranked No. 18.

"“If Kamara wasn’t a running back, he’d rank far higher on this list. Even still, Kamara is the perfect running back for the modern NFL. For one, he was drafted by the Saints in the third round, proving yet again that teams can find great running backs at a tremendous value. Two, he can do a bit everything,” Wagner-McGough said of the explosive young back."

A three-time Pro Bowler, Kamara has been one of the most versatile players in the league. He’s that good, and although last season was a down year, the back entering his fourth season has managed at least 1,300 all-purpose yards in each of his first three seasons.

Lastly, the Saints saw cornerback Mashon Lattimore placed at No. 16.

"“This marks Lattimore’s third straight year making an appearance on this list. While he peaked on this list after his rookie season, for which he won Defensive Rookie of the Year, he’s still been remarkably consistent since the Saints drafted him 11th overall in 2017 with eight interceptions, 44 passes defended, and 168 combined tackles,” he noted."

From Ohio State, Lattimore has cemented himself as a staple for this team. Using their fifth-year option, the Saints will need to extend the stud soon before he can start listening to other just as enticing offers.

This team, behind these young stars and many others, will look to dominate the NFC again, and they certainly have a good chance at doing just that.