Grading the Saints 2021 Defensive End Performance

Despite dealing with injuries all year, the New Orleans defensive ends were paramount to the team's defensive success in 2021.

Author:
Bob Rose
Updated:
Feb 13, 2022 9:54 AM EST
Original:
Feb 12, 2022

In this story:

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints surprised many when they used the Number 28 selection in the first round of last spring's draft on DE Payton Turner. New Orleans had a deep combination of edge defenders in 2020 and had other more pressing needs on the roster.

At a closer glance, the Saints were trying to fortify a position that actually had some questions. Trey Hendrickson departed in free agency. Former first-round pick Marcus Davenport had missed 13 games over his first three years. Veteran star Cameron Jordan was entering his 11th season.

Now former head coach Sean Payton showed nice foresight. Defensive end was one of many positions that were decimated by injuries throughout the year. The Turner pick didn't exactly pay immediate dividends. However, the position remained strong enough to help New Orleans have one of the league's strongest defenses.

Saints 2021 Position Grades

Defensive End

The great Cam Jordan continued to cement his legacy among the franchise's all-time greats with another terrific campaign. Jordan had no sacks over the first five weeks, prompting unfair criticism in some circles.

A closer look at his production over that span revealed that he was still playing at a high level. During those five contests he led the team in pressures and recorded 7 QB hits and 4 tackles for loss. He also continued to play outstanding run defense, an underrated staple throughout his career.

Jordan had a monstrous final stretch of the year. He had four sacks and six QB hits over a five-game stretch at mid-season. Then over the year's last four contests he recorded an eye-popping 8.5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, and 9 QB hits.

For the season, Jordan led the Saints with 12.5 sacks, 33 pressures, and 13 tackles for loss. He also broke up six passes and forced two fumbles, earning his fifth straight Pro Bowl bid and seventh of his career.

It was the fourth time in five years that Jordan achieved double-digit sack totals. He now has 107 sacks over his 11-year career, moving into second place in franchise history behind only Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport (92) rushes against Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Jake Matthews (70). Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

The oft-injured Marcus Davenport followed a strong training camp with a dominant season opening win over Green Bay. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury in that game that would sideline him the next four weeks.

Upon his return, Davenport showed the skills that caused the Saints to pick him 14th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He missed two of the last ten games, but in those other contests was a nearly unblockable force opposite of Jordan.

Despite playing in 11 games, Davenport amassed 9 sacks, 21 pressures, 9 tackles for loss, and forced 3 fumbles. All were career best marks. He was a disruptive force over the last portion of the season.

Davenport is a wonderful athlete with prototypical size at 6’6” and 265-Lbs. Many feel that he has just scratched the surface of his tremendous potential. He'll be entering the final year of his contract in 2022.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Payton Turner (98) rushes against Atlanta offensive tackle Jake Matthews (70). Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

A late riser up the draft boards, the Saints loved the athletic potential of Payton Turner. His development was stunted by a training camp injury that kept him out of the season opener.

Turner notched his first career sack during a Week 2 loss at Carolina, adding 3 tackles for loss. He showed some pass rush potential over the first part of the year, but struggled with positioning as a run defender.

After missing two games at mid-season with a calf injury, Turner suffered an injured shoulder against Atlanta in Week 9. The injury forced him onto injured reserve, limiting his rookie campaign to just five games.

Turner had a sack, 8 pressures, and 3 tackles for loss in five outings. He has a terrific blend of speed and strength at 6’6” and 270-Lbs. Expect Turner to be a much bigger part of the Saints defense in 2022.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) is sacked by New Orleans Saints defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon (90). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Fifth-year DE Tanoh Kpassagnon was an underrated free-agent addition for the Saints this offseason.

Kpassagnon provided consistent production opposite Jordan, with Davenport and Turner limited. He also had the versatility to move to defensive tackle in some alignments.

Kpassagnon led the defense in sacks over the first half of the season. He showed excellent athleticism along the edge and solid strength at the point of attack against the run. His versatile abilities bolstered the depth across the line.

An ankle injury forced Kpassagnon to miss the last eight games of the season. He finished with 4 sacks, 11 pressures, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 passes batted down. Before his injury, the athletic Kpassagnon was playing the best football of his career.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Carl Granderson (96) pressures Carolina quarterback Sam Darnold (14). Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Third-year DE Carl Granderson continues to develop into a valuable part of the edge rotation. He needs to continue his improvement against the run, but is a disruptive pass rusher with great explosion into opposing backfields.

Granderson had 3 sacks to go along with a career-high 15 pressures and 5 tackles for loss. He saw the most playing time of his career and showed the capability of being a solid starter.

Jalyn Holmes was able to give the team some quality snaps when picked up at mid-season after Kpassagnon and Turner were lost. Second-year LB/DE Zack Baun struggled in open space, but played better when used at defensive end.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) is sacked by New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94). Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY

Davenport, Jordan, Kpassagnon, and Turner excelled along the edge, but also played well when deployed as defensive tackles. Jordan and Davenport were arguably the league's most unblockable edge tandem down the stretch of the year.

New Orleans defensive ends were responsible for 29.5 of the team’s 46 sacks. The group also played outstanding against the run for the NFL's 4th ranked rush defense.