Saints Draft Outlook: Linebacker

For the Saints defense, linebacker could be an overlooked and underrated need to address in the draft.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Apr 25, 2023 8:47 AM EDT

In this story:

We're one day closer to the NFL Draft, which means we're one day closer to finding out how the Saints roster will take shape. New Orleans has a few strategies they can deploy to come away with some impact players to add to the 2023 squad, which looks to rebound in a big way. We only have a few more positions to preview ahead of the draft, as we're weighing in on whether or not the Saints could draft particular spots. We're on to the linebacker group, which might be a little overlooked.

Current Depth Chart: Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Zack Baun, Andrew Dowell, D'Marco Jackson, Ty Summers, Nephi Sewell, Ryan Connelly

Draft Prospect Outlook

Day 1 Options: Trenton Simpson (Clemson)
Day 2 Options: Noah Sewell (Oregon), Drew Sanders (Arkansas), Jack Campbell (Iowa), Daiyan Henley (Washington State), Owen Pappoe (Auburn), Henry To'oTo'o (Alabama), Dorian Williams (Tulane)
Day 3 Options: Nick Herbig (Wisconsin), DeMarvion Overshown (Texas), Anfernee Orji (Vanderbilt), SirVocea Dennis (Pitt), Cam Jones (Indiana), Mohamoud Diabate (Utah), Aubrey Miller Jr. (Jackson State), Dee Winters (TCU), Yasir Abdullah (Louisville), Charlie Thomas (Georgia Tech), Ben VanSumeren (Michigan State), Patrick O'Connell (Montana), Zaire Barnes (Western Michigan), Isaiah Land (Florida A&M)
Priority UDFAs: Jalen Graham (Penn State), Jimmy Phillips (SMU), Caden McDonald (San Diego State), Thomas Rush (Minnesota), Kelle Sanders (UAB), Dyontae Johnson (Toledo)

THE CASE FOR DRAFTING: Losing Kaden Elliss will certainly make things interesting for the Saints defense. Towards the end of the season, the team found a great way to get the most from Elliss and Pete Werner, primarily using Werner on 1st and 2nd Down situations, while Elliss was in on pass-rushing downs. The New Orleans defense ended up getting 13.5 sacks from the duo of Elliss (7.0) and Demario Davis (6.5).

Pete Werner did miss some time last year in pockets, so that would be the biggest concern. Things are great when he's in the lineup, but the backup plan for him is pretty cloudy and should be top of mind. Zack Baun and most of the other group are in contract years. Andrew Dowell, Ty Summers, Nephi Sewell, and newcomer Ryan Connelly are primarily core special teams guys, but remember that that's where Kaden Elliss also got his bread and butter before taking a giant leap last season.

Needless to say, this is an area where New Orleans could get better. Someone like a Drew Sanders in the second round would fit a lot of what the Saints like to do.

THE CASE FOR NOT DRAFTING: This isn't the best draft class for the linebacker position. There are some studs to look at on Day 2, but beyond that there's a pretty large drop-off. Saints position coach Michael Hodges has done some great work with the group, and someone like D'Marco Jackson could take a big leap after coming off his rookie season on injured reserve. Demario Davis is still playing at a pretty high level, while Pete Werner enters his third year.

If the health holds and the Saints keep playing a familiar strategy that sees more safety looks on the field with two linebackers, then the need diminishes some. However, that remains to be seen. The free agent pool has a ton of talent right now, so there's a real possibility that if New Orleans doesn't look to the draft, then this could be a realistic play before training camp hits.

Linebacker is a very underrated need for the Saints and somewhat overlooked. It's an area that should command some attention over the next couple of months, but getting the right fit would be ideal. Projects at this position can work with Hodges as the coach, and getting someone with versatility to replace and fill the void left behind from Kaden Elliss' should get addressed sooner rather than later.