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We’re moving quickly down the road to the 2023 NFL draft with the Senior Bowl and other college all-star games in rearview, so it’s a good time for an updated New Orleans Saints mock draft. Which players stood out in practices this week? Who did the Saints coaches working at the event get a good look at? What did they learn from this experience? That’s all factoring into our latest seven-round projection.

Let’s start with the elepahnt in the room: it feels almost certain that the Saints will address quarterback well ahead of the draft, likely by acquiring a veteran like Derek Carr or...

A safety spot comprised of almost all new names produced disappointing results for New Orleans in 2022.

Very little changed in the personnel of the New Orleans Saints defense between 2021 into 2022. Essentially, 9 of 11 starters returned from a unit that ranked near the top of the league in most defensive categories.

One position that saw a complete changeover was the safety spot. Veteran Malcolm Jenkins retired, Marcus Williams departed in free agency for the Baltimore Ravens, and S/CB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Saints answered those losses, at least on paper. They signed coveted free agent Marcus Maye and former second-round pick Justin Evans. Then, in a move wildly popular with much of the fan base, added four-time Pro Bowler and former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu.

Communication in the secondary and the loss of the versatile Gardner-Johnson might have been early concerns. However, many felt that New Orleans actually upgraded their starting safeties with the free-agent moves. How would they translate to the field?

Saints 2022 Safety Grade​

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) runs with the ball as New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) defends. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The signing of the 30-year-old Mathieu was met with a ton of enthusiasm from a portion of the New Orleans fan base. However, it didn't translate to on-field success.

On a defense that had major issues with tackling over the first half of the year, Mathieu struggled the most. He was credited with six missed tackles on the year, but poor positioning or effort led to several other big plays against both the run and pass.

Mathieu had 91 tackles in 2022, which was actually a career-high and second on the team. His 64 solo stops were the most among any Saints defender. He also had a team-high 3 interceptions, broke up 8 passes, and allowed less than 63% completion percentage when targeted in slot coverage.

Mathieu flashed his trademark playmaking range late in the year after a horrid start. He'll be counted on to continue that trend for the secondary next season.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans (13) catches a pass defended by New Orleans Saints safety Marcus Maye (6) and cornerback Paulson Adebo (29). Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY

The other big free-agent acquisition, Marcus Maye, had an equally disappointing campaign. Maye played fairly well against the run early in the year. He wasn't exactly a liability in coverage, but also failed to make any game-changing plays in that capacity.

Maye had a forced fumble and 60 tackles in 10 games, but none for loss and just two passes broken up.

The most disappointing aspect about Maye in 2022 was his availability. He missed seven games during the season, exposing the lack of quality depth that the Saints had at safety.

Versatile seventh-year defensive back P.J. Williams and free-agent pickup Justin Evans would step into the roles manned by Gardner-Johnson. Williams might be the best tackler in the secondary, but was banged up by injuries most of the year. He missed six full games and most of five others. When on the field, Williams is valued for his slot coverage skills and ability to play either safety spot.


New Orleans Saints safety Justin Evans (30) before a game against the San Francisco 49ers. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Evans was one of the league's feel-good stories early in the year. A second-round draft choice by the Buccaneers in 2017, Evans hadn't played since 2018 because of serious Achilles injuries.

With Williams and Maye banged up, Evans provided solid slot coverage over the first six weeks. His play faltered badly over the second half, causing a drastic decrease in his defensive snaps.

Veteran Daniel Sorensen was also brought in this offseason to add depth. A liability in coverage, Sorensen still managed two interceptions. He also contributed on special teams, where S J.T. Gray continued to be one of the best in the game in that role.

Injuries to Maye and P.J. Williams caused Sorensen and Gray to be in coverage much more than anticipated. The Saints still managed to rank second in pass defense. However, that was more due to the play of their cornerbacks and a good pass rush than play from their safeties.


New Orleans Saints safety Marcus Maye (6) strips the ball from Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota (1) as safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) looks to make a tackle. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

New faces Mathieu, Maye, Evans, and Sorensen provided a complete makeover at the safety spot. Even with Mathieu's strong play over the last month of the year, the position was a disappointment and, at times, a liability.

Maye and Mathieu are proven playmakers, but the Saints need more from both players. After their disappointing results in 2022, don't be surprised if New Orleans looks to bring in an upgrade at the position this offseason.

Saints Safety Grade = D​

Here’s a name we haven’t heard in a while. Brett Favre’s game-worn jersey from the Minnesota Vikings’ 31-28 loss to the New Orleans Saints in the 2009 NFC Championship Game will be auctioned off later this month. Favre actually wore two jerseys in this game, and the one up for auction was used during the second half and overtime period.

Favre threw two interceptions in the loss to the Saints in front of a sellout crowd at the Superdome, with his game-losing pass picked off by Tracy Porter effectively sending the contest to overtime. That was the fifth turnover by the Vikings offense on...

Not going to lie, this is a bit of a shock. Despite boasting young speedsters like Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, the New Orleans Saints fielded one of the slower wide receiver corps in the NFL in 2022. While Olave and Shaheed have comfortably timed in the 4.3-to-4.4-second range in the 40-yard dash, as a group New Orleans was weighted down by players like Jarvis Landry (4.77), Marquez Callaway (4.55), Tre’Quan Smith (4.49), Michael Thomas (4.57), and Keith Kirkwood (4.50), with dynamic athletes like Kevin White, Deonte Harty, and Kirk Merritt only running a handful of routes over the...

The NFL is a week away from kicking off Super Bowl LVII, but how do the previous 66 quarterbacks to start in its 56 previous championship games stack up against each other? That’s an exercise NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal set out to answer, with the standard set from from No.1 (Tom Brady) to No. 66 (Rex Grossman). Where does New Orleans Saints Super Bowl XLIV-champion Drew Brees slot in?

Brees was listed at No. 12 overall, in the second tier of quarterbacks to have played in a Super Bowl, but it’s honestly not bad company to keep. Brees makes up what Rosenthal deems “the best second tier...

The New Orleans Saints offense averaged just 19.4 points per game in 2022 with Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston under center, but Pro Football Focus says all attention needs to go to the Saints defensive line as New Orleans’ biggest offseason priority in 2023.

It’s a sentiment shared by Cameron Jordan, who immediately began advocating for the Saints to spend the first-round pick they got from trading Sean Payton on a defensive tackle to help him out up front. But that’s an interesting take. PFF analyst Sam Monson had this to say in breaking down the biggest roster need for all 32 teams...

Was Marcus Maye a good veteran signing? The New Orleans Saints made him a priority after losing longtime starter Marcus Williams to the Baltimore Ravens early in the free agent signing period, and though he missed time with injuries he brought qualities no one else in the Saints secondary could match in 2022.

It remains to be seen how large a role Maye will play in 2023 — he’s been awaiting a DUI suspension since the 2021 offseason, and he has long-lasting injury concerns — but his contract structure suggests he’ll remain in the Saints’ plans moving forward. But should they be looking for...

Chris Olave was the wide receiver the New Orleans Saints coveted all along during the 2022 NFL draft, and the team was over the moon to come away with him last April. So what’s the feeling for his first year in the pros now that it’s all behind him? How do you grade Olave’s performance after he very nearly reset the team’s rookie receiving records?

Let’s put a pin in the 2022 Saints rookie class by reviewing Olave’s campaign, having previously meditated on his fellow first-year pros Trevor Penning, Alontae Taylor, Rashid Shaheed, and Lewis Kidd. Here’s our take:

We’re up for another busy offseason for the New Orleans Saints, who need to make some tough decisions on pending 2023 free agents like defensive end Marcus Davenport, linebacker Kaden Elliss, and slot receiver Jarvis Landry as well as quarterback Andy Dalton and tight end Juwan Johnson. Another veteran player who will hit the open market in March is defensive tackle David Onyemata, their best player at his position the last few years.

Will the Saints have room in the budget for No. 93? Onyemata hasn’t returned to the heights he reached previously in his career, but he’s still a steady...

Yikes. The NFLPA released its top-five lists at each position group after previously sharing its first-ever All-Pro team this year, and more of the New Orleans Saints’ former players were recognized than players who are still on the team.

Just two current Saints players ranked inside the top five vote-getters at their position: right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (who tied for fourth-most with the Minnesota Vikings’ Brian O’Neill) and off-ball linebacker Demario Davis (who also ranked fourth at his position group).

But three of their former teammates were listed on this league-spanning list. Some...

Cameron Jordan might be the best trash talker the New Orleans Saints hae to offer. Jordan shared his take on the second retirement of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady during an interview with NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe at the Pro Bowl Games on Saturday, saying: “This time he was able to say he’s putting it up for good, right? Last time there was too many leaks that happened, it was tainted. Let the man retire. We salute him, we wish him the best just in whichever endeavor that is.”

But of course Jordan couldn’t let this spot go without a diss at the upstart Buccaneers. He ended...

Tom Brady is done. That’s bad for the Buccaneers. It’s good for the teams with which the Buccaneers compete.

Saints defensive end Cam Jordan is particularly happy to see Brady gone from the Bucs.

“We salute him and wish him the best, in whatever next endeavor that is,” Jordan told Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network from Las Vegas, a day before the non-Pro Bowl Pro Bowl.

“We’re glad he’s out of the division,” Jordan added. “Tampa Bay will probably go back to where Tampa Bay has been.”

Before Brady, the Bucs had not been to the postseason since 2007. With Brady, the qualified three straight...

There were plenty of them, but here's the biggest standouts from Senior Bowl practices this week.

The Senior Bowl kicks off at 1:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. After another good week of practice at the yearly event, draft hopefuls look to put an exclamation point on their performances and help boost their stock going into the Scouting Combine and NFL Draft. Here's a few players that stood out the most in Mobile.

Tyjae Spears, Tulane​

Feb 1, 2023; Mobile, AL, USA; American running back Tyjae Spears of Tulane (22) practices during the second day of Senior Bowl week at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports


He was simply one of the most impressive players this week. He put on a great show for everyone in attendance, and was named the practice player of the week in a vote by NFL executives and scouts. If you've followed Tulane at all this year, then this honestly comes at no shock. There's a good bit of Alvin Kamara resemblance there.

Jayden Reed, Michigan State​

Jan 31, 2023; Mobile, AL, USA; National wide receiver Jayden Reed of Michigan State (1) makes a catch in the end zone ahead of National defensive back Ronnie Hickman of Ohio State (14) during the first day of Senior Bowl week at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports


Reed had a strong week of practice, and might have drove up his draft stock after putting on a performance. The burst, separation ability, and route-running were some of the best things to stand out from the Michigan State wide receiver. He seems like a strong lock to be a Day 2 pick after seemingly being unguardable.

Will McDonald IV, Iowa State​

His work in one-on-one reps was hard not to notice. The edge rusher was dominant all week, showing some real athleticism and skills off in the process. He also dropped in coverage and made a nice play breaking up a pass intended for Alabama's Cameron Latu. Iowa State's 3-3-5 defense certainly make it interesting to see where McDonald will end up, but the traits are there.

Quick Hits​

QB A MIXED BAG: Similar to last year, the quarterbacks struggled early on. However, of the group, Fresno State's Jake Haener might have been the better one of any of them. It's a shame we didn't get to see Hendon Hooker practice, but he was around all week. Of the quarterbacks that played, none of them scream to be the next Saints starter.

MORE OFFENSIVE STUDS: Illinois' Chase Brown and Oklahoma's Eric Gray were two other running backs that stood out, as well as Houston's Nathaniel 'Tank' Dell. Clemson tight end Davis Allen put on a good display of blocking in addition to making some plays.

LOCAL FLAVOR: Tulane's Dorian Williams is going to have a place somewhere in the league. Like Tyjae Spears, Williams represented the Green Wave well. There's tons of potential there for the linebacker, but there's just something to his game that makes me feel that it'll translate well in the NFL. LSU's Jay Ward had some pretty good moments this week, showing off some nice versatility.

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