Who has been the most underrated Saints player thus far?
The Saints return from their bye week after some much needed rest. It wasn't quiet at all, as the Michael Thomas drama seemingly kept growing along with the news coming out of owner Gayle Benson being the victim of an attempted robbery. However, it all calmed down, and there was even some good news to come out like rookie Zack Baun getting married. Now, it's back to football for Sean Payton's squad, as they look to keep pace with the Bucs in the NFC South.
We know the big players like Alvin Kamara and Demario Davis who have been huge for the team through their first five games, and they obviously deserve a ton of praise, but what about the others? The Saints News Network Crew recently got together to weigh in on who the most underrated player has been this season.
Kyle T. Mosley
Erik McCoy has done a great job in his second season at the center position. He has not given up many inside pressures while pass protecting for Drew Brees. Trey Hendrickson has 4.5 sacks and is one of the NFL leaders in that category. Cam Jordan said Hendrickson is starting to get chips and double-teams, which is a sign of respect from opposing offensive coordinators. They recognize his talent.
Bob Rose
The most underrated offensive player for the Saints so far is Latavius Murray. Alvin Kamara is having an MVP-type of season, but Murray is right on his heels with 218 yards on the ground. He has great vision and hits the hole hard with a good open field burst. Defensively, I'll go with David Onyemata as their most underrated performer so far. Onyemata has two sacks and five pressures in four games, and several near-misses of opposing quarterbacks. His impact has gone beyond the stat sheet, as he's developed into the Saints most consistent interior defender. His run defense is immensely improved from his rookie year, and he's had the athleticism to get outside and cut a runner down on sweeps and screens several times this season to prevent big gains.
Carla Antoine
Marquez Callaway is one of my favorite underrated Saints offensive players. I asked a question back in May: Can Marquez Callaway be the missing piece to the Saints offensive puzzle? I believe the answer will be yes, and soon. Callaway, an undrafted free agent, blazed excellent kick return skills, superb leaping, and excellent speed for his size in college. Coach Sean Payton looked to Callaway as a vertical threat for Drew Brees.
His skills were on display at practices proved he was able to adjust and track the deep ball well. He has a long, smooth stride, and good acceleration. While he had limited experience running a full route tree, Callaway got Payton’s attention. That is not an easy feat as a rookie, but Payton trusted Callaway with both kickoff and punt return assignments. The rookie did not disappoint. He returned 2 kickoffs for 57 yards, 6 punt returns for 69 yards and 4 receptions for 34 yards.
Trey Hendrickson is one of the most underrated defensive players for the Saints. He was a former third-round draft choice in 2017 and is in a contract year. Exhibiting raw talent, size, strength and speed has made a tremendous difference to the Saints’ defensive line. Hendrickson is on target to have the best year of his career after adding two tackles and 1.5 sacks Monday in the Saints’ 30-27 overtime win over the Chargers. Hendrickson has totaled 4.5 sacks this season. He continues to embrace his rising role on the Saints’ defense as Marcus Davenport continues to get to 100 percent with an injured toe.
Brendan Boylan
Erik McCoy has been special since the Saints drafted him in 2019, and he picked up right where he left off throughout the early stages of 2020. Through five weeks, McCoy has played every offensive snap (335) for the Saints allowing no sacks. McCoy’s highlight-play thus far? Sprinting down field with Alvin Kamara serving as his “lead blocker” on a 52-yard catch and run vs Green Bay in Week 3. McCoy’s PFF grade through five games is 73.0.
After signing a 3-year, $26 million extension over the summer, David Onyemata finds himself tied for 7th in the NFL with two sacks while playing in just 54 percent of snaps in four games. The Saints have yet to play with a healthy D-line this season with three starters Davenport and Onyemata both missing at least one game this season. However, the Saints front has continued to succeed against the run eclipsing 45 consecutive games without surrendering a 100-yard rusher and racking up 2.6 sacks per game, which ranks 11th in the league. Onyemata has plugged the gaps in the run game and got to the QB earning his contract extension so far this season.
For me, Latavius Murray has been the player who has shined week in and week out. Emmanuel Sanders has been hot lately, but it didn't start that way for him. Another player who deserves some of the spotlight would be Cesar Ruiz, who hasn't necessarily started out like McCoy did last year, but has been there in a pinch and looked good when he's been called upon.
Defensively, Hendrickson has to be the frontrunner, but you can't ignore C.J. Gardner-Johnson shining in a pretty bad secondary right now, as well as Alex Anzalone playing strong. In particular, Anzalone is actually 13th out of 74 linebackers on Pro Football Focus. Honorable mentions should go out to others like Malcolm Roach and Shy Tuttle.
All of these players should continue to have a hand in New Orleans' successes and failures for the rest of the season, and hopefully it leads to the team making the postseason and making a deep run.
