The New Orleans Saints rookie class has been the recipient of much praise and the catalyst for much optimism amongst fans. ESPN's Katherine Terrell broke the class down into 4 tiers, and Jordyn Tyson was the only selection projected to be an immediate starter.
Second round pick Christen Miller was the only player in the second tier, regular contributors. That's good for him because it's less about starting at defensive line. It's about being in the rotation, so Miller could be a highly impactful player as a regular contributor. As a primarily run stopping defender, his impact may be mostly early downs. It's the dirty work that doesn't get as much attention.
Terrell put the other selections in the backup/ special teams category or in the project tier. None of these tiers are long term projections. She focused on what role the draft picks will play in Year 1.
Saints' 2025 draft class spoiled fans
One starter in Year 1 out of the bunch feels a bit disappointing. There's so much hype around this class, and the hype has spurred hope of a big jump for the team. Last year's class may also impact how this projection is received. 2025's draft class produced many immediate starters.
Kelvin Banks Jr., Tyler Shough, Jonas Sanker and Quincy Riley were Year 1 starters. Danny Stutsman earned a rotational role. Devin Neal became a third down back and even became the lead back for a short period of time due to injury.
You simply can't get that every year. This class won an award for the best draft class last year. Though you know it's rare to get that level of immediate impact in consecutive years, it can still be jarring to read.
One thing about it, however, is many of these immediate starters and rookies who made an impact was the result of circumstances. Sanker wasn't supposed to start. The plan was for him to sit behind Tyrann Mathieu. Then the Saints went to grab Julian Blackmon after Mathieu's retirement. After all of that, Blackmon suffered a season-ending injury Week 1 and thrusted Sanker into a starting role he flourished in.
It wasn't supposed to happen for Sanker this year. Sometimes you just catch a break. Circumstances could change things for this draft class as well. Delp feels like the most likely. He's one man away from becoming a primary tight end on the team.
Add us as a preferred source on Google