Saints Roster: Realistic expectations for Carl Granderson in 2022

Former UDFA Carl Granderson is entering his fourth season on the New Orleans Saints roster. What should fans expect from him in 2022?

Carl Granderson is yet another undrafted free agent who the New Orleans Saints have hit on. He signed with NOLA after going undrafted in 2019 out of Wyoming and has remained with the team over the past three years.

As a rookie, Granderson appeared in eight games and had 11 tackles, two QB hits, and one sack. He followed that up with the best year of his career in 2020, appearing in 15 games and racking up nine QB hits and five sacks. Not bad for a second-year UDFA.

This past year saw Granderson appear in 15 games and he made three starts. During that time, he notched 25 tackles, five tackles for loss, eight QB hits, and three sacks. He’s become a nice rotational piece for the Saints’ defensive line.

Saints Roster: What should fans expect from Carl Granderson?

The Saints value their defensive line and have added more depth to it this offseason with the signing of Kentavius Street and drafting Jordan Jackson. Granderson likely projects as a third-string defensive end sitting behind Cameron Jordan and Tanoh Kpassagnon on the depth chart.

Jordan has only missed a game once in his career but Kpassagnon missed a good chunk of last season due to injuries, paving the way for Granderson to get more playing time.

Granderson has carved out a nice role for himself in New Orleans and fans should expect for him to continue serving as a rotational piece on the defensive line. He’s done well in that role and last year graded out at 63.2 per Pro Football Focus.

The defensive line is pretty well-stocked in New Orleans and the team relies on their rotational pieces pretty consistently. Granderson should make the 53-man roster due to the experience he has with the team and in the defensive system.

Fans can expect another respectable season where he has a few sacks and makes the most of his opportunities when he’s on the field.