Saints Struck Gold; Rookie Already Emerging As New Orleans' Next Star

The Saints may have hit big with one of their draft picks...

Sep 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Jonas Sanker (33) tackles San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) after a catch during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints dropped to 0-4 on the season after suffering a loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, but it wasn't as lopsided of a game as many expected it would be.

In fact, it seemed like the Saints had a chance to steal the victory for a majority of the second half. Ultimately, they fell short, but a few stars emerged from the loss.

Molly Bauer of Who Dat Dish recently shared a lot of high praise for Saints rookie safety Jonas Sanker after his breakout game in Week 4 against the Bills.

Jonas Sanker already turning heads as Saints' next star

Sep 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) runs for a gain past New Orleans Saints safety Jonas Sanker (33) during the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

"The New Orleans Saints fell short against the Buffalo Bills. Though it keeps the Saints out of the win column, it was far from all bad for the team," Bauer wrote. "Jonas Sanker stood out as a shining bright spot. As a young player, Sanker's performance is bigger than just one game. It is the first noteworthy showing from a player who has the potential to be a part of New Orleans' rebuild.

"So far this season, Jonas Sanker has seen 223 snaps, which is probably more than anyone expected if you asked them just three months ago. Heading into his rookie season, he was expected to be at most the third-string safety, as the starting spots were locked down already. However, Tyrann Mathieu's unexpected retirement in late July and his replacement Justin Blackmon's season-ending injury have led to Sanker's career being expedited. After Week 1, Sanker was given a one-in-a-million chance at securing a starting job in the National Football League."

Sanker was an afterthought coming into the season, but he's quickly proving why that's a ridiculous narrative to have ever existed.

While he was quiet in the first few games of the season, he broke out in Week 4 against the best offense the Saints had seen yet.

Sanker recorded five tackles, three passes defensed, and intercepted a Josh Allen pass early in the game to halt a Bills drive. He showed incredible instincts and ball skills on his interception.

Going forward, Sanker is going to have a bit more pressure on his shoulders after this breakout game. He looked good and the Saints faithful is going to start relying on him to continue improving.

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