The Key to the Orleans Saints Defense is Justin Reid

The New Orleans Saints could be in for a tough season. Experiencing massive roster turnover this offseason, which included the hiring of a new head coach and the retirement of quarterback, Derek Carr, things will look a lot different for the Saints this season.

With many questions still needing to be answered and a team that looks like it lost too many pieces to overcome, expectations surrounding the Saints are not high.

In the case of former Stanford Cardinal standout, Justin Reid, his role with his new team will be extremely vital given the circumstances. Signing a three-year deal to join the Saints this offseason, Reid comes to New Orleans from the Kansas City Chiefs, where he will look to bring his talent, leadership and championship experience to a franchise that has struggled in recent seasons.

But with longtime NFL star, Tyrann Mathieu, also retiring this offseason, Reid's role in New Orleans got a whole lot bigger.

Mathieu, a 12-year NFL veteran with three Pro Bowls, multiple All-Pros and a Super Bowl title, was a very important veteran in New Orleans and was expected to be the team's leader in the defensive back room.

But now that he is retired and cornerback Paulson Adebo left for the New York Giants in free agency, Reid is left as the marquee defensive back for the Saints, with his role growing even more due to the loss of those other two.

Reid brings a lot to the Saints that the team will really need this season. Aside from his strong on-ball defending, Reid is known for his tackling skills and ability to make plays all around the field. Finishing 2024 with 87 total tackles after recording a career high of 95 in 2023, Reid plays like a linebacker and flies to the ball whenever he can.

In 2024, the Saints ranked near the bottom of the league in total defense and had an especially hard time when it came to defending the run. An elite player when it comes to playing the run, Reid should help the Saints improve immensely in that category.

But with Mathieu gone, Reid will need to become even more versatile than he is already. Mathieu was a safety but played like a hybrid, recording 10 interceptions in his three seasons with the Saints but was also dominant at making tackles and forcing turnovers.

Teams will most likely target the Saints' safeties more and try and expose the loss of Mathieu, but if Reid plays like how he did with the Chiefs, then they may be able to overcome Mathieu's departure.

The Saints 2025 season will begin on August 10 when they travel Los Angeles to take on the Chargers in their first preseason game. Kickoff will be at 1:05 pm (PT) and will air on CBS and NFL Network.