3 veterans who won't make Saints roster Week 1

2. Niko Lalos, DE

On defense, it all begins and ends with Cameron Jordan. The longtime leader and defensive end for New Orleans has somewhat quietly been as consistent as it gets for the last 12 seasons. Other than Jordan, the Saints have Carl Granderson starting at the other end spot.

And, as if this Saints defensive line desperately needed help (they didn't), the team drafted Notre Dame stud pass rusher Isaiah Foskey this year to give them a trio of strong ends. From there, Tanoh Kpassagnon rounds out the team's top four.

Lower on the depth chart are veterans Payton Turner and Jabari Zuniga, followed by Niko Lalos, who currently sits at the very bottom of his position. Lalos hasn't seen any NFL action since the 2020 season when he was with the Giants, and appeared in six games.

Now having no in-game time over the past two seasons, Lalos is more likely to be looking at the end of his career than a spot on this Saints roster.