Saints Draft Outlook: Defensive Tackle

If there's one position that everyone could agree on that the Saints need to address in the draft, it'd be defensive tackle.

Author:
John Hendrix
Updated:
Apr 27, 2023 11:17 AM EDT
Original:
Apr 24, 2023

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New Orleans Saints

We're officially in draft week, which will be a big one for the Saints. New Orleans has eight picks at their disposal for the three-day event, and could obviously be aggressive in their approach to find impact players to help contribute this year. We continue to look at each position in the draft to make the case for and against selecting it. We finish up our look in the trenches with the defensive tackle spot.

Current Depth Chart: Khalen Saunders, Nathan Shepherd, Malcolm Roach, Prince Emili

Draft Prospect Outlook

Day 1 Options: Calijah Kancey (Pitt), Bryan Bresee (Clemson), Mazi Smith (Michigan)
Day 2 Options: Siaka Ika (Baylor), Zacch Pickens (South Carolina), Keeanu Benton (Wisconsin), Cameron Young (Mississippi State), Gervon Dexter (Florida), Jaquelin Roy (LSU), Adetomiwa Adebawore (Northwestern)
Day 3 Options: Brodric Martin (Western Kentucky), Byron Young (Alabama), Moro Ojomo (Texas), Karl Brooks (Bowling Green), Keondre Coburn (Texas), Jerrod Clark (Coastal Carolina), Jalen Redmond (Oklahoma), Calvin Avery (Illinois), Tyler Lacy (Oklahoma State), Scott Matlock (Boise State), PJ Mustipher (Penn State), Jacob Slade (Michigan State)
Priority UDFAs: Nesta Jade Silvera (Arizona State), Taron Vincent (Ohio State), Shakel Brown (Troy), Devonnsha Maxwell (Chattanooga), Jayson Ademilola (Notre Dame), Eli Huggins (Kansas State), Ifeanyi Maijeh (Rutgers)

THE CASE FOR DRAFTING: It's way too easy to make this case. The Saints have not invested in a defensive tackle since the 2016 draft when they took Sheldon Rankins and David Onyemata. Those two picks were pivotal to a defensive turnaround for the Saints. Last season, New Orleans selected Jordan Jackson as a sixth-round pick, but he never saw the field and left in the offseason for Denver.

While free agent pickups Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd will be key contributors and even be part of the starting rotation, the Saints need more at the spot. The team lost David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, and Kentavius Street all to free agency. At one point on the roster, they had just one defensive tackle. Now, they're sitting with four.

After losing Ryan Nielsen to the Falcons, there will be a lot of eyes on new Saints defensive line coach Todd Grantham to develop the next batch for New Orleans. This is a big opportunity for the team to turn things around at a spot that was fairly disappointing last season, particularly against the run.

The type of addition will also be interesting. Will the Saints look to add someone who is more stout against the run or get someone that can generate pressure against the quarterback? Ideally, you'd want a player that's balanced, and there's players like that in the draft.

THE CASE FOR NOT DRAFTING: Essentially, any arguments against drafting a defensive tackle would be weak. The Saints have had a knack for getting undrafted players to shine at the position, and they're still going to have to find their next Shy Tuttle on the team. However, going into 2023 with the hopes of having an undrafted player be a starter for the season doesn't seem realistic, especially with the amount of picks available and positions the team will be drafting in.

Almost all of the free agents available post-draft are 30 and over. Don't rule out the team grabbing one ahead of training camp for competition, and while they certainly could make an impact, it would be more of a rotational addition more than anything.

Overall, count on the Saints to take at least one defensive tackle in this draft, but don't be surprised if they stop there. The anticipation would be that New Orleans takes one at either No. 29 or 40, but the lingering question will be who they select. There's a ton of upside with several of the top prospects, and addressing the priority early will allow the team to focus on other pressing needs.