Saints Sophomore Spotlight: Kaden Elliss
New Orleans head coach Sean Payton has shown a tendency to bring in players with NFL bloodlines during his tenure with the franchise. Former Saints Jairus Byrd (Gil), Mark Ingram (Mark Sr.), Michael Mauti (Michael Sr.), Vinnie Sunseri (Sal), Nick Toon (Al), and current star Cam Jordan (Steve) had fathers who played in the NFL. Receiver Michael Thomas is the nephew of former Pro Bowler Keyshawn Johnson and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle is the nephew of former NFL receiver Perry Tuttle.
Jul 28, 2019; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss (55) during training camp practice at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
With the 244th overall pick (7th round) of the 2019 draft the Saints added to their family reunion by selecting linebacker Kaden Elliss from Idaho. Kaden is the son of former Detroit Lions Pro Bowl defensive lineman Luther Elliss and was also coached by his father in college. After a productive collegiate career with the Vandals, Kaden was added late in the draft, just ten picks before the last selection. Elliss had an impressive preseason at linebacker and was able to secure a spot on the active roster heading into the regular season. He saw action in just three games, with all 47 of his snaps coming on special teams, before a knee injury ended his season.
Aug 9, 2019; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss (55) during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
The 25-Yr old Elliss will be in the mix for a roster spot again this season. At 6’3 240-Lbs he has good size and range for the position along with the speed to track plays from sideline to sideline. Elliss is a tenacious run defender with good natural instincts and has good enough athleticism to hold up in coverage. The Saints drafted Wisconsin’s Zack Baun with a 3rd round pick this spring and added Michigan State’s Joe Bachie as an undrafted rookie but lost reliable veteran A.J. Klein in free agency.
Baun should be a big part of the New Orleans defense alongside Demario Davis, Alex Anzalone, and Kiko Alonso at linebacker. Elliss will compete with Bachie and versatile veteran Craig Robertson to round out the depth chart at the position. If he plays as impressively as he did last preseason at inside linebacker and on special teams though, Kaden Elliss could well be a factor in the plans of the Saints defense in 2020.
