The New Orleans Saints entered the 2025 season with not a lot of expectations. They exited the season with a 6-11 record and a lot of momentum propelling them into the offseason. The main reason for that is how well the rookie class played in 2025, especially second-round quarterback Tyler Shough, who Saints fans are now all-in on as the franchise signal-caller.
Fans weren't the only ones to notice how dominant this season's rookie class was, as Aaron Schatz of ESPN ranked them number one in his latest column. He starts by praising Shough (but also reminding everyone that the rookie is 26 years old) and then highlights first-round pick Kelvin Banks Jr., who he said was good in run blocking but could improve in pass blocking.
From there, Schatz discusses the defensive rookies and breaks it all down:
"In Ben Solak's All-Rookie team, he highlighted third-round pick Jonas Sanker as a premier communicator and coverage player who made plays from sideline to sideline. Fourth-rounder Quincy Riley, the team's third cornerback, was above average in my coverage DVOA metric and started five games. Another fourth-round pick, linebacker Danny Stutsman, didn't start any games but had 53 combined tackles. Next season, the Saints will also get back third-round defensive tackle Vernon Broughton, who suffered a season-ending hip injury in Week 2."
Saints rookie class delivered something fans haven’t felt in a long time
It's no wonder that the Saints looked like a much different team in 2025 given the production they got from their rookie class. For the first time in years, New Orleans looked like a competitive team. If the Saints continue to draft well this year, winning the NFC South for the first time since 2020 certainly feels doable and from there, who knows?
Shough definitely received the most attention and that's understandable given he plays the most important position but what this rookie class did in just one year can't be understated. They gave Saints fans hope that better times are coming and that is a pretty exciting feeling for a fanbase starved for competitive football.