It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints were poor defensively in 2024, especially when it came to getting after the quarterback. It’s clear as day that they need help, but the front office thinks differently. With no changes, Brandon Staley's scheme elevating the talent would be the best case scenario for the Saints edge defenders.
The Saints elected to run it back with the same bunch that only registered 39 sacks last season. That put them in the bottom half of the league. This decision indicates that the front office has great confidence that new defensive coordinator Staley can elevate this edge group.
The Saints hired Staley to come in and turn things around on the defensive side. He spent one season in the NFL as a defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, where his defense was dominant, physical, and consistent, finishing as the number 1 ranked defense. Most importantly, they finished with 53 sacks, second in the league.
The 3-4 Shift could turn things around for the Saints pass rush
There will be a formation change in New Orleans, as the Saints will transition to a 3-4 defensive scheme. Staley is known to use his edge rushers in a variety of ways, rushing the quarterback with stunts, twists, and even dropping into coverage. The shift will take some time to adapt to but can possibly lead to much more production from the previous season.
Edge rushers will shift from playing with their hand in the dirt, to rushing standing up. This will allow guys like Chase Young and Carl Granderson to play more free by using their speed and mobility to get after the quarterback. Staley will also ask the edge rushers to drop into coverage at times and will have the inside linebackers complement them with unique blitz packages.
Brandon Staley’s scheme will be the reason for any success in the Saints pass rush
The Saints might be considered one of the worst pass rushing groups on paper, but they have a great defensive mind in Staley who is creative and aggressive. He's more than capable of boosting this pass rush near the middle of the pack in 2025. Staley's intelligence and creativity will bring a fun and entertaining style to New Orleans, which will completely change the culture to a defense that has struggled the last couple of seasons.
An improved pass rush has a direct impact on coverage. A quicker pass rush will help decrease the amount of time cornerbacks have to cover opposing wide receivers. The Saints have their question marks at cornerback, so either group elevating would be a benefit to the other.
The Saints believe that they currently have the personnel at edge to get the job done. They believe that Staley’s new defensive scheme will be the reason why we see this group elevate from the bottom half of the league. Since the Saints probably won’t add another pass rusher, Brandon Staley’s defensive scheme is the best case scenario for a successful pass rush.