PFF: Saints Defensive Players Get High Mid-Season Grades, Recognition

PFF analysts give the New Orleans Saints defensive players high grades at the mid-season mark. The team has captured the NFC South lead with a 5-4 record, and several defensive standouts have been recognized for their notable performances in the first half of the regular season.

DEMARIO DAVIS

PFF posted about Davis: "The highest-graded LB in the first half of the season." The analytics website's Gordon McGuiness listed Demario on its PFF Midseason All-Pro Team for defense.

The highest-graded LB in the first half of the season

Demario Davis ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/VEfTqG3h8t
— PFF (@PFF) November 9, 2023

NFL ON THE SAINTS' DEFENSE

The league's statisticians noted New Orleans defense in a post by the team's PR department: "Saints defense leads the NFL with 62 pass defenses this season, the first team to have 60+ in the first nine weeks of the season since Kansas City (64) and Denver (63) did so in 2013.

CBs Paulson Adebo (11), Marshon Lattimore (8), and Alontae Taylor (8) are the only trio of teammates with 8+ this season."

Also, the New Orleans defense has allowed 5.93 yards per reception.

The New Orleans defense has only allowed 5.93 passing yards per attempt this season

It ranks 2nd in the NFL 🔒 pic.twitter.com/9RlkHc5kiC
— PFF NO Saints (@PFF_Saints) November 2, 2023

PAULSON ADEBO

The newly crowned NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 9 wasn't Mashon Lattimore, but Paulson Adebo. He's quietly been producing a solid year. In Sunday's game with the Bears, Adebo posted 7 tackles, 3 passes defended, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He became the fifth player with 2+ interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in a game since 2000 and the first since the great cornerback Charles Woodson.

Get this: Adebo is 2nd in the NFL by allowing a 40.7 quarterback-receiver rating when targeted in 2023-24.

Paulson Adebo: 40.7 passer rating allowed when targeted this season

2nd in the NFL 🔒 pic.twitter.com/JjS4Yjf95C
— PFF NO Saints (@PFF_Saints) November 8, 2023

CARL GRANDERSON

The ink is still drying on his massive four-year, $52M contract extension. The undrafted edge rusher is making noise opposite veteran Cam Jordan with 36 quarterback pressures and 5.5 sacks. With eight games left, Granderson will focus on a double-digit sack season.

Carl Granderson's 36 pressures and 5.5 sacks this season are both career-highs with 8 games still to play 🤯📈 pic.twitter.com/pgLRl2vfJ6
— PFF NO Saints (@PFF_Saints) November 6, 2023

MALCOLM ROACH

According to PFF, the Big Longhorn has the "best run-stop rate in the National Football League this season at 17.9%."

Malcolm Roach: best run-stop rate in the NFL this season (17.9%) 😤 pic.twitter.com/rAa6JItpVo
— PFF NO Saints (@PFF_Saints) November 8, 2023