5 biggest weaknesses on the New Orleans Saints roster
By Randy Gurzi
1. Defensive tackle
It's never easy to replace one starter on the defensive line but the Saints will enter 2023 needing to replace two — as well as one of their top rotating defensive ends.
Marcus Davenport signed with the Minnesota Vikings, which slows down their pass rush on the edge. They do feel good about Carl Granderson and added Isaiah Foskey in the NFL Draft, which could be a win. However, Cameron Jordan is the main reason they're not panicking about the EDGE.
But the interior of the line is a different story.
David Onyemata left this offseason for the Atlanta Falcons and Shy Tuttle signed with the Carolina Panthers. With their starting defensive tackles now divisional rivals, the Saints brought in Nathan Shepherd from the New York Jets and Khalen Saunders from the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.
On top of that, they added Bryan Bresee from Clemson in the first round of the NFL Draft. The two starters will come from that trio and all three will have huge roles this season for New Orleans.
The problem is, Saunders and Shepherd have never been full-time starters. Also, Bresee was one of the more talented defensive linemen in the draft but he still needs to put it all together.
Next. OTA Head Turners. Four Saints already performing. dark
That uncertainty means this could be the biggest weakness for them entering the season.