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Losing Payton Turner hurts. The New Orleans Saints placed their top draft pick on injured reserve this week, sidelining him for at least the next three games, and potentially longer until the team has a better grasp on his new shoulder injury.
He was playing as well as any of the other first-year defensive ends, with an NFL-leading average depth of tackle on run stops at 0.7 yards, ahead of other first rounders Gregory Rousseau (2.1), Odafe Oweh and Kwity Paye (2.8), Jaelan Phillips (4.2), and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (4.5). And on passing plays, Turner notched a Pro Football Focus pass rushing productivity rating of 5.3. That trailed only Rousseau (7.1), Oweh (6.8), and Tryon-Shoyinka (5.9) out of the first-round pool.
Obviously you’d like to see Turner creating more sacks — I’ve written before about how pressures tend to be empty calories compared to those impact plays — but the verdict here is that Turner was just as active as his peers on a per-snap basis. Hopefully the elbow, calf, and shoulder issues he’s dealt with this season can be put behind him soon. It sure would be nice for him to come back in December and help the Saints push for a playoffs run in January. Saints coach Sean Payton told the Athletic’s Katherine Terrell that Turner could return this season, so there’s hope.
But the better news is that their rookie draft class has looked like they belong in the NFL. Pete Werner has made his draft-day critics eat a lot of crow by consistently making plays in run defense and pass coverage — his 17 defensive stops rank third-most among rookie linebackers, and of the two players ahead of him Micah Parsons plays an entirely different position up at the line of scrimmage while Nick Bolton has given up nearly 200 more yards in pass coverage (on just 56 more snaps).
The Saints are strong enough at linebacker right now for Werner to back up Demario Davis and Kwon Alexander. But the future is bright at that position and we should expect him to get more looks as a starter as his career continues.
There’s an argument for bumping cornerback Paulson Adebo down the depth chart. He’s seen the fourth-most targets among all rookie corners and is being targeted at the second-highest rate of all Saints defenders (13.7%, behind only Marshon Lattimore at 16.3%) while yielding the second-most passing yards among his peers (427; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell leads the NFL with 456 yards allowed). No other rookie has drawn four or more penalty flags. He’s been targeted often, maybe too often, and the Saints have a capable alternative on hand in Bradley Roby.
But here’s the counter-argument: players only improve by actually playing, and the limited practice reps in team drills under recent collective bargaining agreements has increased how much learning youngsters have to do on the job. He’s largely held his own for someone who didn’t play at all last year, and the tight coverage he’s provided for much of this season is why the Saints have been so successful on defense — and achieved a 5-3 record.
If he continues to slip up in big moments (like that 64-yard completion to Cordarrelle Patterson in the final minute), the Saints need to have a discussion about benching him. But for now the plan should be the same as it has been all year in living with the good and the bad.
As for the other rookie draft picks, all selected on Day 3 of the event: quarterback Ian Book was activated for the first time last week, but it doesn’t appear the Saints want him to see the field this season. Backup left tackle Landon Young has been active each week but he’s largely played special teams, working as the third-string option behind Terron Armstead and James Hurst. Wide receiver Kawaan Baker has remained on the practice squad and seen teammates like Kenny Stills, Kevin White, and Easop Winston Jr. called up ahead of him.
That’s probably what you expect from late-round picks. It’s rare to find anyone who can contribute right away after the first three rounds, with Saints legends like Marques Colston proving the exception to the rule. Once you get past the initial 100 or so prospects the talent level drops off and you’re looking at players who are just as likely to be picked as to go undrafted.
So it’s a good thing the Saints hit on their early-round picks, even if Turner’s rookie year has been interrupted by too many injuries and Adebo’s has been a rollercoaster. If those two are joined by Werner in the starting lineup next season this draft class will be a success. Any help from the other 2021 draftees will just be icing on the cake. For now, fans should celebrate the highlights and be mindful of how steep the learning curve can be in jumping from college ball to the pros.
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