Lou Scataglia of NFL Spin Zone decided to go and do some power rankings for the NFC South. A division that he says is hard to predict the favorite, he thinks the New Orleans Saints have what it takes to win the South.
For the Black and Gold, it would be their first division title since the 2020 season. That should really be no reason to doubt the team, though, because the Saints really might have the best chance to win the South. As Scataglia says, they have Tyler Shough to thank for that. He broke multiple team records (some decades old) on his way to finishing as the runner-up for the OROTY voting.
That quality of a season, which was just nine starts mind you, earned him the respect of his peers across the league. It also convinced some of the top free agents, like David Edwards and Travis Etienne, to move to New Orleans.
The Saints' offense has changed tremendously since the start of free agency
The difference in the offense from this year compared to last is the biggest reason to believe in a turnaround. It's now built around Shough, who stepped into a starting role mid year and spent last offseason in competition for the job. All attention is dedicated to building around Shough's strengths specifically. With an offense that is actually built for him, he might be able to blow last season out of the water.
David Edwards, an interior offensive lineman formerly of the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills, might be the biggest signing of the offseason for the team. One of the NFL's most elite pass blockers last year, he's sure to help keep Shough off the ground in 2026, something that happened 31 times his rookie year. That's way too many times for just half a season.
There's also the signing of Noah Fant, a tight end who spent last season with the Cincinnati Bengals. He's a player whose big-bodied skillset the Saints have been wanting for a while now, dating back to at least last offseason when Juwan Johnson made a public push for Fant to join him in New Orleans. With Fant on board, the offense might even be even more explosive next year, as he'll be yet another weapon for Shough, open up the field with 12-personnel, and be able to keep Johnson fresh.
Running back Travis Etienne is also yet another shiny new piece to the offense. One of the first two additions the team made this offseason, the three 1,000-yard rushing seasons he has under his belt is something that Kellen Moore definitely has a million ideas for already.