Summed7
Veteran Starter
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Saints come in at #11 which I feel like is very fair. Most of us believe in Jameis but I know the league wants to see him prove it. Add to that the uncertainty with AK and MT and I can understand #11 with upside to finish much higher. Have to have ESPN insider to see the whole article, but NFC ahead of us are (2)Bucs, (4)Rams, (5)GB, (7)Eagles.
www.espn.com
Biggest weakness: The Saints locked in their left tackle of the future, Trevor Penning, in the 2022 NFL draft, but there could be some growing pains when it comes to replacing Terron Armstead. Penning was a dominant run blocker in his final season at Northern Iowa in 2021, earning a 99.9 run-blocking grade. However, he'll be making the jump from FCS to NFL competition as a rookie and had trouble with penalties at the college level. Whether it's Penning or James Hurst starting the season on the left side, New Orleans can expect a step back at the position.
X factor for 2022: Michael Thomas set the single-season receptions record with 149 catches in 2019. Since that point, he has played fewer than 500 offensive snaps and caught just 40 regular-season passes in two campaigns. The Saints did a good job of bolstering what profiled as one of the weaker receiving corps in the league entering this offseason with the Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry additions, but they need Thomas to get back to the level he was playing at prior to 2020 in order to really flourish as a unit.
We ranked all 32 NFL rosters: Strengths, weaknesses, X factors and projected starting lineups
Pro Football Focus stacks the most complete rosters from top to bottom, with Super Bowl contenders leading the way.
11. New Orleans Saints
Biggest strength: New Orleans' defense ranked second in EPA per play during the 2021 regular season, behind only the Bills. The Saints are running largely the same group back in 2022 outside of safety, where Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye are replacing Marcus Williams and Malcolm Jenkins. Impact players at all three levels should make it one of the stingier defenses in the league again this season, particularly against the run. The only team to allow fewer yards per run play than the Saints since 2019 is Tampa Bay.Biggest weakness: The Saints locked in their left tackle of the future, Trevor Penning, in the 2022 NFL draft, but there could be some growing pains when it comes to replacing Terron Armstead. Penning was a dominant run blocker in his final season at Northern Iowa in 2021, earning a 99.9 run-blocking grade. However, he'll be making the jump from FCS to NFL competition as a rookie and had trouble with penalties at the college level. Whether it's Penning or James Hurst starting the season on the left side, New Orleans can expect a step back at the position.
X factor for 2022: Michael Thomas set the single-season receptions record with 149 catches in 2019. Since that point, he has played fewer than 500 offensive snaps and caught just 40 regular-season passes in two campaigns. The Saints did a good job of bolstering what profiled as one of the weaker receiving corps in the league entering this offseason with the Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry additions, but they need Thomas to get back to the level he was playing at prior to 2020 in order to really flourish as a unit.
