Saints have an overlooked need that they must address in the late rounds of the draft

With the 2024 NFL Draft scheduled for the end of April, teams’ draft needs have been discussed plenty. For the New Orleans Saints, everyone knows they need to find offensive tackles, edge rushers, and receivers. With two picks in the first four rounds of the draft, it seems like a safe bet that New Orleans will go in two of those directions with their first two picks.

What about after those first two picks? With four picks in the fifth round, and seven total day-three picks, will the Saints just double dip at specific positions or will they draft several different positions? The latter seems like the most likely approach. With that being the case, New Orleans will start moving down its list of needs. One need the team should definitely address in the later rounds of the draft is defensive tackle.

Saints must find defensive tackle depth in the 2024 NFL Draft

New Orleans used its 2023 first-round pick on defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. Bresee is coming off a promising rookie season where he played in all 17 games, recording 24 tackles, seven for a loss, and 4.5 sacks. The Saints also have veterans Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepard returning for their second seasons with the team, after starting at the two defensive tackle positions during the 2023 season.

However, New Orleans will need at least one more quality defensive tackle to give the team the kind of defensive line depth it needs to be successful. The Saints struggled to stop the run in 2023, and struggled rushing the passer. The key to doing that consistently is having about eight defensive linemen that can rotate all game and wreak havoc on offenses.

The Saints have already added Chase Young and have still been connected to top edge rushers in the draft. As they beef up the defensive line, New Orleans must make sure it doesn’t forget about the defensive tackle position.

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