'Get Me on the Field, I'll Cause Havoc.' How Isaiah Foskey Fits the Saints Defense
After selecting Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints went back to the trenches at the top of Day 2. The selection of Notre Dame defensive end Isaiah Foskey was a dream come true moment for the big-bodied, athletic pass rusher.
Sep 18, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey (7) celebrates after a sack in the fourth quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
"This is a team that I talked to so much," Foskey said of his pre-draft conversations with the Saints. "I fell in love with them. Love the coaches, started talking to them a lot. Just the vibe of the whole team is 'New Orleans.' This is like, the team I wanted to go to. I told everybody. I want to go to this team."
That is exactly the type of buy in the Saints want from their prospects. Add to that his fit for the prototype and you have yourself a quintessential New Orleans defensive end. At 6-foot-5 and 264 pounds, Foskey is nearly identical to former first-round draft selection and defensive end Marcus Davenport. But he has the collegiate production and refinement that was lacking in previous investments. Especially taking into consideration that he is the Notre Dame career sack leader with 26.5.
Combine the production, the size and the athletics testing, Foskey is the perfect fit for New Orleans. But he also gives them elements in their defense that will help them take some steps forward if they translate. Coming out of college with 7 forced fumbles, 4 blocked punts and a pass rush win rate of 26.2% per Pro Football Focus, the Antioch, Calif. native is a playmaker.
Nov 19, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey (7) acknowledges the crowd after a sack in the second quarter against the Boston College Eagles. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
He spoke to media about his mentality when he is getting after the passer: "The Saints picked me because they know they can put me anywhere," Foskey said in his introductory presser. "And they know I'm a disruptive type of defensive end. That's what I try to do. These sacks are not good enough. If (I'm) getting a sack, I'm trying to go for the ball."
So where does he fit in the Saints defense? On the edge of course. But it goes a little deeper than that. Head coach Dennis Allen specifically called out Foskey's speed and agility and how those attributes can help against more mobile quarterbacks.
If Foskey hits the field for the Saints in rotation with defensive ends Carl Granderson, Payton Turner and Tanoh Kpassagnon opposite star Cameron Jordan, his ability to make plays in the run game will also come into play. The Saints love a defensive end that can set the edge and Foskey is one of this draft classes' best when it comes to that area of the game.
Expect the Notre Dame product to line up as a three-point rusher, a stand up rusher and possibly even contribute to special teams rush units. The Saints sealed a game early in the 2022 season thanks to a blocked field goal by Turner. Adding Foskey to the mix could help to move the needle in the game's third phase, special teams.
Foskey has the body type and movement ability to take snaps from multiple techniques and in multiple fronts or alignments. He will see a hefty share of snaps early if his healthy track record holds and has all of the tools necessary to reach that high ceiling that has always been observed in his potential. As he said himself: "Get me on the field, I'll cause havoc."
