GBN Report: NFC South

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

#15 (1st)
#75 (3rd)
#109 (4th)
#144 (5th)
#183 (6th)



2013 Offseason: Where They Stand

2012 was a year to forget for this Saints organization. The Bounty-Gate scandal was an enormous distraction on and off the field, as the punishments handed down from the league were a huge blow to their performance. The defense was historically awful, and the offense lost a lot of its efficiency without Payton making the in-game adjustments. Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan has been brought in and the team will transition to a 3-4 scheme. The personnel is not completely lined up yet, so there may be a few hybrid packages thrown in there as well. The biggest loss of the offseason has been left tackle Jermon Bushrod, who signed with Chicago. They have a decent group of experienced players that will compete for that spot, so the hole there is not a gaping one. Defensively, this veteran-loaded unit added a couple of 3-4 pieces but still lacks the linebackers, both inside and out, that truly fit this scheme. The Saints will be fighting an uphill battle in 2013, but they can still score against anybody. They only need a defense that is average, so they aren’t far away personnel-wise.

1 – Pass Rushing Outside Linebacker: Ryan’s scheme demands a lot of outside pass rush coming from the linebackers. There are a couple pieces with limited potential already in place, but nothing that screams 10+ sacks per season.

2 – Nose Tackle: The Saints were beat up against the running games between the tackles all year. This scheme needs a big body that occupies blockers and control the two inside gaps.

3 – Defensive Back: There are depth issues at both cornerback and safety. If they want to compete in this pass happy division, they need multiple options in the defensive backfield.
3 Round Mock:

#15 – Barkevious Mingo – OLB - LSU
#75 – Brandon Williams – DT – Missouri Southern State
Great Blue North Draft Report