New Orleans Saints add much-needed talent at defensive end

The New Orleans Saints are going to be even more top-heavy on the defensive side of the ball next season than they were in 2020. Given their immense salary cap issues, New Orleans was forced to let go of a few high-impact players.

Malcom Brown, Trey Hendrickson, and Sheldon Rankins are all players on the team’s defensive line that made an impact a season ago yet won’t be back in 2021. They are far from the only defenders as Janoris Jenkins and Kwon Alexander also won’t be returning to the Big Easy.

The absence of those five will create holes in the Saints’ defense. They’re going to have to fill those prior to the season’s commencement, and they’ve already started to do just that.

The New Orleans Saints are bringing in Tanoh Kpassagnon, and he should help the line after a plethora of players were either released or headed elsewhere.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Saints are “finalizing” a two-year deal to add former Chiefs defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon. The 6-foot-7 former second-round pick has spent the last four years in Kansas City.

In those four seasons, Kpassagnon has racked up just seven sacks. Starting eight games in 2019, Kpassagnon had his best season with 4 sacks, 29 tackles, and 2 passes defended. He almost doubled his games started as he went for 15 this past season, but he had just one sack.

He did have three passes defended which was the most of his career. With his size and length, that skill could translate into much bigger numbers. However, he’ll likely be behind Marcus Davenport to start the season.

Davenport and Cam Jordan should be the two that open as the starters on the line, but there’s no denying the team could also draft a defensive end early on. That said, the depth that the 26-year-old Kpassagnon will add should be pivotal, especially considering the injury-prone history of Davenport.

It’ll be interesting to see, if given the chance, if Kpassagnon will explode onto the scene much like Hendrickson did across from the often double-teamed Jordan.

The need for a defensive end is there, and Kpassagnon was an underrated talent on the market. The Saints don’t have Jadeveon Clowney-type money, making Kpassagnon the perfect player to bring in.