New Orleans Saints are fortunate to have a top-ten LB in their stable

There are sayings that we rattle off all of the time as football fans, whether that be as New Orleans Saints fans or as fans of any of the other 31 NFL teams. As a matter of fact, there are instances where we’ve said them so often that we don’t even remember who said them first.

Here’s an example. “Offense sells tickets, and defense wins championships”. How many times have you said or heard that? Sure, there are people that disagree, but you can still make a case for why that’s a pretty accurate theory.

Even with Drew Brees under center for a decade and a half, the Saints have always been the most deadly version of themselves when they’ve had a great defense that they can rely on and heading into the 2021 season, New Orleans has stars on that side of the ball. One of which mans the defense’s second level.

For New Orleans Saints fans, Demario Davis is someone that they can rely on.

It’s hard to believe this now, but Demario Davis was a third-round draft choice of the New York Jets in 2012. Yes, there are teams that passed on him two or three times. They may be rethinking that decision now.

Since then, he’s actually had two stints with the Jets that sandwiched a one-year run with the Cleveland Browns. He’s found his home in New Orlean, where, in three seasons, he’s appeared in 53 games and started every one of them (that includes five playoff appearances). The result has been 383 total tackles to go along with 14 sacks, two interceptions, 24 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.

Recently, he cracked a list of the top 11 linebackers in the NFL today and landed at number six. Here’s some of what Mark Schofield, the writer of this one, had to say.

"After bouncing around between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns, Demario Davis has found a steady home in New Orleans with the Saints. That has translated into the best football of his career over the past three seasons. 2020 was yet another solid campaign for Davis in the heart of the Saints defense, as he set a career-high mark in quarterback pressures with 22… Obviously, change is in the air in the Big Easy with the retirement of Drew Brees, but the Saints still have their defensive QB in place with Davis returning to the fold."

It’s hard to disagree with any of that honestly. Davis earned a First-team All-Pro in 2019 and a Second-team All-Pro nod in 2020. Might a Pro Bowl nod be a possibility in 2021?

Do yourself a favor. Check out some Saints games this season, and pay close attention to what Number 56 is doing. He’s worth the price of admission every time Bew Orleans has a game to play.