The Best Saints Players Under 30
The New Orleans Saints are one of the youngest teams in the National Football League. Only 11 of their current 90-man training camp roster are over the age of 30, with WR Jarvis Landry and DT David Onyemata turning 30 during the season.
Of those 13 players, only Landry, Onyemata, DE Cameron Jordan (33), LB Demario Davis (33), S Tyrann Mathieu (30), G/T James Hurst (30), RB Mark Ingram (32), and Taysom Hill (31) are expected to be major contributors to the team.
John Hendrix of the Saints News Network highlighted the top New Orleans players over 30 last week.
Now it's time to take a look at the Saints top ‘‘young guns’’. We’ll leave the rookies out of consideration, since they have yet to play an NFL snap. Second-year players like CB Paulson Adebo (23), LB Pete Werner (23), and DE Payton Turner (23) have gotten off to promising starts, but only have one season under their belt.
Here are the Saints best four players under the age of 30.
Honorable Mention
- Marcus Davenport, DE (age 25)
- Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S (24)
- Erik McCoy, C (24)
- Jameis Winston, QB (28)
Michael Thomas, WR (29)
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (13) runs after a catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, Thomas has missed 26 of the last 33 regular season games, including all of last year, with an ankle injury. But when healthy, he is THAT GOOD. This is a player who had at least 92 receptions and over 1,100 yards in each of his first four seasons. He's led the league in receptions twice, including an NFL-record 149 catches for a league-best 1,725 yards in 2019.
Thomas, a second-round pick from Ohio State in the 2016 NFL Draft, is perhaps the league's most physical receiver. He’s nearly unstoppable through the short and intermediate zones of a defense, making him a security blanket for his quarterbacks.
Thomas has hauled in an incredible 77.6% of his targets, with nearly 70% of his catches resulting in a first down or touchdown. Already in possession of several franchise records, Thomas is only 23 receptions away from passing Joe Horn and Eric Martin for second place on the team’s all-time receptions list.
Without Thomas in 2021, New Orleans slipped to dead last in the league in passing production. Alvin Kamara led the team with 47 receptions, while Marquez Callaway was the team leader with 698 receiving yards. Those were the lowest totals for a team leader in those categories since 1986.
Expect Thomas, if healthy, to again be a huge part of the New Orleans attack and a primary target for QB Jameis Winston. Thomas had played with Drew Brees for much of his career, but has shown that he can still be an elite weapon without the legendary quarterback.
In ten career games without Brees at quarterback, Thomas has 77 receptions for 893 yards and three touchdowns. He had at least five catches in nine of those ten games, with six outings of more than 85 yards. Thomas pulled in 78.6% of his targets in those games, which is actually better than his overall career averages.
Ryan Ramczyk, OT (28)
New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk (71) blocks Dallas Cowboys defensive end Kerry Hyder (51). Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Ramczyk is the star of one of the league's most dominant offensive lines. The 28-year-old All-Pro is one of the game’s finest linemen. A mauler in the running game and a wall in pass protection, Ramczyk routinely dominates the league’s top edge rushers. He’s also a marvelous athlete who efficiently gets to the second level of a defense to be the lead blocker on screens and outside runs.
Coming into 2021, Ramczyk had missed just one of a possible 69 starts, but a knee injury sidelined him for seven contests last season. Often-injured LT Terron Armstead missed many of those same games, leaving the offense stagnant without both their elite tackles.
New Orleans managed just 16 points per game without Ramczyk last season. They didn't score a touchdown in three of seven games without him, were held under 100 yards rushing four times, and gave up 19 quarterback sacks.
Even devoid of offensive weapons, the Saints averaged 25 points and 50 more yards of total offense per game when Ramczyk was in the lineup last year.
The Saints five starting offensive linemen played only 22 snaps together all of last season. A patchwork New Orleans line surrendered 37 sacks last year, which tied for the team’s highest total since 2005. The Saints also averaged only 3.7 yards per rush, ranking a lowly 28th in the league.
Ramczyk's presence up front boosts the team’s entire line. The Saints pick up most of their rushing yards over his right side. He also single-handedly nullifies pass rushers one-on-one, allowing the team to apply double-team blockers elsewhere.
Signed through 2026, Ryan Ramczyk is one of the league's highest paid linemen. He’s a dominant force that bullies opposing defenders and will be the key to an offensive resurgence for the Saints in 2022.
Alvin Kamara, RB (26)
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY
Kamara led the Saints with 898 yards rushing in 2021. This despite missing four games with a knee injury. His 47 receptions also led the team. However, his catches, 439 receiving yards, and 3.7 yards per rush average were all the lowest marks of his career by a wide margin. That was more a result of other offensive issues, causing extra defensive attention on Kamara.
A five-time Pro Bowler and 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Kamara has been one of the NFL's most dangerous weapons since the Saints selected him out of Tennessee with a third-round pick. After just five seasons, Kamara is already the franchise's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions for a running back.
Kamara’s also just 30 yards away from passing George Rogers into third place on the team’s all-time rushing list, five rushing scores from passing Mark Ingram for first place, and five total touchdowns from overtaking Marques Colston for first place in franchise history in those categories.
Kamara, who turns 27 on July 25, is the focal point of the team’s offense. He has elite balance, vision, and burst that make him a nightmare to defend anywhere on the field. Unlike most running backs, Kamara is just as dangerous when he lines up at receiver. He has excellent hands and runs routes like a seasoned wideout.
Detractors claimed that Kamara couldn't be an effective runner between the tackles earlier in his career. He’s proven them wrong, by continuing to excel even with extra defenders in the box. Kamara had six outings of at least 70 yards rushing last season, including three 100-yard games.
Kamara also had a 100-yard receiving game last year, which equaled the amount that the Saints got from their entire receiving corps. Over his first four seasons, Kamara averaged 82 receptions and 706 receiving yards, most in the league by a running back.
A true all-purpose threat, few can beat defenses in the number of ways that Kamara does. A possible six-game suspension will obviously affect his statistical output in 2022, but there's no back or receiver more important to the success of his team's offense than Alvin Kamara.
Marshon Lattimore, CB (26)
New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) breaks up a pass intended for Washington receiver Terry McLaurin (17). Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY
New Orleans took Lattimore with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. Lattimore has since earned the 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year award, four Pro Bowl bids, and was most recently named the NFL's 2nd-best cornerback in an ESPN poll of players, coaches, and general managers.
Lattimore has 15 interceptions and 10 fumbles forced or recovered over his five seasons. His 38 forced incompletions and 84 passes broken up are the most by any defensive player since 2017. He’s also a factor in run defense, often cutting down ball carriers along the edge in run support.
More than just those impressive numbers, Lattimore is one of the finest lock-down corners the league has seen in recent years. He’s given up a paltry 53% completion rate when targeted over the last three seasons, while almost always in one-on-one matchups with the opposition's best receiver.
Lattimore is often tasked with covering an opponent’s top wideout with little help. A physical player and terrific athlete with fluid coverage skills, he can make even elite wideouts completely irrelevant in the outcome of a game. He’s just as effective in off-ball coverage, where terrific vision and instincts make him a dangerous playmaker.
Lattimore's ability to lock up receivers allows the Saints defense to be much more aggressive and creative in their schemes. His shut-down skills are a major key to a New Orleans defense that is one of the best in the NFL.
Thomas, Ramczyk, Kamara and Lattimore don't only help make up a talented New Orleans Saints core that's mostly under 30. They are also among the best players at their respective positions in the entire NFL.
