2026 New Orleans Saints in Three Players
The offseason is upon us. Let's take a look at all 32 teams.
Onto the 23rd edition of our offseason series!
Instead of reviewing all 32 drafts and adding casual commentary, I will be doing this instead.
We will go through every single team, in alphabetical order, and quickly discuss three players:
a favorite free agent signing
a favorite draft pick
and a player already entrenched on the roster
Not necessarily the best, or the top, or the one's who will play the biggest role, just one of choice.
The New Orleans Saints are up.
Free Agent Signing
LG David Edwards
Edwards is entering his 8th NFL season, spending the last 3 in Buffalo. He has started 77 games in his career, including 32 over the last two years, all at left guard.
The Saints gave Edwards a 4 year, $61m contract in March.
Here is a cut-up of the good from Edwards' 2025 season.
The Saints have been building a strong offensive line for years, with three 1st round picks up front, Edwards and center Erik McCoy being the exceptions.
Taliese Fuaga was the 1st round pick in 2024, starting at RT. And Kelvin Banks was the 1st rounder in 2025, at LT. New Orleans feels confident that they have their bookend tackles of the future.
At RG, it still projects to be 2020 1st rounder Cesar Ruiz, who has also spent time at center. Unfortunately, Ruiz's 1st round status does not play on the field. This is the "weakness" of New Orleans' line.
And at center, McCoy is a Pro Bowler, but has only played in 14 games over the last two seasons. He drastically changes the outlook of the Saints' offensive line.
The Saints added Edwards to give stability to this offensive line in front of second year QB Tyler Shough, and they can afford to do it because of Shough's contract.
In 2025, New Orleans was:
15th in pressure rate
22nd in sack rate
4th quickest time to throw
11th quickest time to pressure
Now, how consistent are these statistics due to QB play? They are not necessarily 100% indicative of OL play. Time to pressure is probably the "best" of those stats.
Creating a safe environment around Shough and elevating the offense closer to a Top 10 unit is how the Saints win this division.
They added Edwards, along with WR Jordyn Tyson in Round 1, and RB Travis Etienne as a free agent.
In 2025, New Orleans averaged just 3.7 yards per carry and -0.12 EPA per rush, both 31st in the NFL. And when running behind their LG, those numbers stood at 3.1 ypc and -0.14 EPA.
Buffalo averaged 5.3 ypc and +0.20 EPA per rush when running behind Edwards. A massive upgrade for the Saints.
Edwards is clean as a pass protector.
He has a nice punch, always laying hands on the defender first, with a nice 33+ inch reach.
Edwards loves to utilize an arm chop to reset the defender's pass rush and slow them down, he's very coordinated throughout reps.
When his assignment does not present, Edwards is great at seeking out double teams to neutralize one on one opportunities for defenders.
While he's not some run game savant, Edwards has an incredible first step to give him the advantage. He crosses defenders' faces and seal them off well/
The ability to climb or reach the second level is subpar, but it was not something he did often in Buffalo.
David Edwards is a solid guard who should fit what New Orleans does. Even with those so-called weaknesses, the Saints have a very similar run game to the Bills. It's more in between the tackles rather than outside zone, meaning Edwards won't be outside his comfort zone, his "role" as a guard should not change.
Edwards will be a part of what helps the Saints offense reach the next level, and he will fit what HC Kellen Moore wants to do.
Draftee
DT Christen Miller
Miller was the 42nd pick of this years' draft out of the University of Georgia.
He started 24 games over his final two seasons, and put up 4.0 career sacks and 12 TFLs.
Here is a cut-up of Miller's 2025 season, courtesy of @NewEraMiah on Twitter/X.
To start spring training, Saints 4th year DT Bryan Bresee tore his ACL. A brutal blow for a player who has taken a massive step since his rookie season.
While he and Christen Miller are quite different players, Bresee being out opens an immediate pathway for increased playing time for Miller.
Oddly enough, Bresee struggled heavily against the run. It was better in year three, but still not great. But the Saints run defense was fairly solid, even ranking highly in a pair of categories:
6th in yards per carry
19th in explosive runs allowed
4th in EPA per rush
16th in stuffed run rate
16th in rushing yards over expected
As you can see, Miller should help New Orleans against the run even more.
Bresee put up just 2.5 sacks in 2025, down from his 7.5 the previous year, along with a solid 8.3% pressure rate from the interior. But New Orleans' pass rush was mediocre, finishing:
24th in pressure rate
29th in time to pressure
However, the Saints finished plays well, with a sack rate that finished 5th in the NFL. So when they got pressure, they converted, they just did not get much pressure.
Christen Miller likely will not help this pass rush improve.
Miller is really a true nose tackle, who can operate as a 3 technique against the run. His style should fit in with the Saints, as DC Brandon Staley does use 5 man fronts at a fairly high rate(44%). This is a bit different than what Miller did in college, with more even fronts, but I think the adjustment is nothing to him. New Orleans clearly saw this as a fit.
The Saints do have Davon Godchaux as a NT option, as he comes in 10 pounds heavier than Miller, at 330lbs. It's hard to say whether both of them will be on the field at once, which could make replacing Bresee's snaps a bit difficult. But having a nice run stopping presence on the field at all times should not be an issue.
And Miller is a pretty strong athlete at his size.
He's an excellent block shedder and mucks up running lanes with a combination of his play recognition, size, and technique.
Miller possesses absurd upper body strength, being able to knock blocker back with pure power. This helped him be unblockable at Georgia and keep defenders off him with a strong punch. With all of these things coming together, Miller consistently stays up and active to impact the run game on each play.
The pass rush is not really there with Miller, other than pure push back power. The other concern, as previously mentioned, is that Miller doesn't really have the weight to be a 0 tech nose tackle. He doesn't project to possess that anchor down and hold the gap strength in the NFL, and even if he does, that's Godchaux's role in New Orleans.
Christen Miller is a fairly "can't miss" draft prospect due to his pure consistency in the run game. With the Saints, it's a matter of what his role will be as a rookie, and will he be able to adapt enough to make an impact.
I think Miller helps the Saints maintain a strong run defense, which sets such a solid floor for a defense.
In-House Player
DB Jonas Sanker
Sanker was the Saints 3rd round pick in 2025 and started 16 games at safety as a rookie.
He collected 3 turnovers and 80 tackles in 94% of the Saints' snaps.
Here is a cut-up of Sanker's 2025 season.
In 2025, the Saints rolled out veterans Julian Blackmon and Justin Reid at safety. Blackmon tore his shoulder up in Week 1, giving Sanker the opportunity to start the rest of the season.
Both veterans are back in 2026, so where does Sanker fit in?
Well, CB Alontae Taylor, who primarily played in the slot, left for Tennessee in free agency.
It seems as though New Orleans is ready to start both Reid and Blackmon on the backend, and Sanker will step into the slot role. Those three, in addition to the Saints' two outside starts in Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley, are the most talented pros in the secondary, and it seems New Orleans wants all on the field, meaning Sanker will make an adjustment to more of a slot role.
While I believe Sanker is probably better as a safety, he 100% benefits the Saints defense in the slot.
He has a nose for the ball, especially in the slot. Sanker also has pretty good ball skills. He's not one of these players who is in the right place but doesn't make a play. He has great timing to disrupt the catch point, against TEs, RBs, and WRs.
In coverage, Sanker can easily hang with tight ends and running backs. While his non elite athleticism or fluidity limit his ceiling, Sanker still moves well and played well in man to man coverage as a rookie.
Sanker does seem like an ideal "free safety." He has good range, can make plays on the football, and is a solid tackler in the defensive backfield. So New Orleans may be missing out on some of what Sanker offers as a safety by putting him near the line of scrimmage.
But Sanker personally will still offer good play closer to the line. He plays the run very well, is a physical tackler, and will handle the matchups against TEs and RBs quite easily.
The question to me is how well can he cover WRs when he doesn't have the luxury of a 10 yard cushion? That's something Sanker has not had to deal with previously. Slot corners aren't typically lined up against top receivers, but he will see true WR1s motion in front of him.
Another small issue with Sanker is that he didn't always have great recognition. Whether it was reading a route as a deep safety and getting crossed up, or not recognizing the run and staying in his zone. Not a career altering issue, just something he could improve upon as he grows in the NFL.
Jonas Sanker is a good football player and the Saints will benefit with him on the field. I think their run defense will stay at the top of the NFL with Sanker in the slot, having the frame to take on blockers.
The Saints 2025 draft is looking to be incredible, and Sanker is a large part of that.
Thanks for reading through our 23rd edition of previewing all 32 teams in 3 players! We are working our way to be completed by the time the preseason begins!
Let me know who else on the Saints is worth monitoring this season, good or bad!
Stay tuned for more NFL and 49ers articles, news, and opinions!
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