When Kellen Moore was hired by the New Orleans Saints back in February, there were some who weren't sure that he was the right man for the job. But In the seven months since, Moore has done nothing but strengthen the team.
Once Moore was brought on, he quickly got to work bolstering the staff. That gets a lot of attention, but he's also hit crucial points on the roster in that first offseason. The Saints had a lot of work to do, so of course Moore didn't fortify every position. It was always a multi-year process, but the Saints made notable progress with the roster.
Questions at quarterback drag down the season projection, but there is talent around the quarterback. Saints fans have Moore to thank for that. The Saints made all of their draft picks and added some veterans through trade and free agency. Projections may not show it, but this is a better all-around roster in 2025.
Kellen Moore addressed most of the Saints positions of concern in his first offseason
In particular, the safeties the Saints will be rolling out for the 2025 NFL season are vastly different than those of 2024. In the months since Moore was hired, nearly 80% of that position group is full of new faces.
Justin Reid was the Saints' biggest catch of the offseason. The departure of Tyrann Mathieu made the move even more important and opened the door for Julian Blackmon. The Saints drafted Jonas Sanker, who was an impact player in the preseason. Jordan Howden is the only returning face. The safeties are better at starter and have more depth than they had in 2024.
The same can be said about the Saints wide receivers. Last year, it was panic after Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Despite adding Brandin Cooks, the unit still felt thin for most of the offseason. Then, Mason Tipton was the star of the preseason and the Saints added Devaughn Vele and Trey Palmer right before the season.
During the 2024 season, there was nothing in particular that stood out about the receivers in New Orleans, except the fact that they were riddled with injuries. However, this year, the wide receiver room is full of speed, speed, and more speed. Of the group, the slowest is recently acquired Vele, who still ran a 4.47 second 40-yard dash.
The Saints also made a big jump in the offensive and defensive trenches. Adding Kelvin Banks Jr. in the first round gives the Saints two offensive tackles to build around and puts Trevor Penning on the interior to accentuate his strengths. Speaking of accentuating strengths, the Saints didn't add to the edge rusher room, but the room should improve due to Brandon Staley's system leaning into their athleticism.
Along that front, Davon Godchaux was the biggest addition next to Reid. He comes in to bolster a Saints run defense that needed a lot of bolstering. His presence in the middle addresses one of the Saints biggest weaknesses.