The New Orleans Saints were one of the worst teams in the NFL at defending the run in 2024. Because of this, they brought in multiple players who excel at stopping the rush. One, and possibly the most impactful, acquisition was defensive tackle Davon Godchaux.
Godchaux is a prototypical nose tackle. He generates natural power from his frame (6’3. 330 Lbs) and uses great leverage to move the offensive lineman. He’s got a great first step and penetrates the backfield against the run.
Godcheaux will join Bryan Bresee, Nathan Shepherd and Khristian Boyd to create a dynamic group. They have a great blend of pass rush (Bresee) and run defense (Godcheaux and Boyd). This group could be far improved in 2025 if the two young defensive tackles develop.
Saints need to see the impact of Davon Godchaux immediately
Teams ran all over the Saints in 2024. They allowed the second most rushing yards in the league (2,404), only beating out one of the worst defenses in NFL history, the Panthers. Teams knew this and were able to capitalize on it. They had the ninth most rushing attempts against them.
The Cardinals aren't going to let the Saints off the hook either. Expect to see a heavy dosage of handoffs to James Connor. Arizona was seventh in the league in rushing a year ago. Facing a team whose defense was on the other side of the spectrum defensively has to have the Cardinals licking their chops.
That's where Godchaux comes into play. Compare his Godchaux 5.5 sacks in eight seasons to his 20 tackles for a loss. There's no question what his role will be on this team. He can do more than run stuff, but that's what Godchaux will primarily tasked with.
Godchaux makes an impact on the play even if he doesn’t make the tackle. He has an innate ability to move the offensive line and force the running back to take a different gap. This allows the rest of the defense to swarm to the ball and make the play.
Davon Godchaux wasn’t talked about as one of the most impactful acquisitions this offseason, however, he’s going to have a big effect on the Saints defense. They needed to improve the run and brought in an anchor in the middle of their defense.