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While the Drew Brees era might be drawing to a close for the New Orleans Saints, the team is well-positioned for whatever comes next. That’s the thesis statement from their placement in the latest future NFL power rankings from ESPN, in which a panel of experts rated every team’s roster composition, quarterback situation, draft success, as well as the coaching staff and front office structures.
The Saints have strung together three years of double-digit win seasons, picking up help along the way with free agents like Demario Davis, Jared Cook, Malcolm Jenkins, and Emmanuel Sanders. The only thing holding them back is their hit rate on draft picks, which ESPN ranked 23rd in the league. Still, even that wart couldn’t keep the Saints from ranking lower than No. 4 overall.
Here’s what ESPN’s Field Yates had to say about why the Saints were put on such a high pedestal:
There’s a case to be made for the Saints as the most complete roster in football right now, and the team is coached by the brilliant Sean Payton. While New Orleans has a year-to-year approach surrounding Drew Brees‘ future, the team has already invested in a developmental player in Taysom Hill that it hopes can be their “guy” going forward.
However, there is skepticism that Hill might be “the guy” the Saints have talked him up to be. After all, he’s completed fewer passes to his teammates than Jameis Winston did while playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Winston is now in line to compete with Hill a year or two down the road. If Winston can clean up his mistakes, Hill must show serious growth as a passer to hold onto his heir-apparent status.
And while the Saints were rated with the NFL’s best roster, it does have a few weak points that could come into play in the years ahead. All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis is a free agent after the 2020 season and already over 30, with few healthy, young options around him (co-starters Kiko Alonso and Alex Anzalone each suffered season-ending injuries last year, while aging backup Craig Robertson is also a soon-to-be free agent). The Saints are putting a lot of faith in rookie draft pick Zack Baun to solidify the position.
But let’s circle back to the good news. The Saints have carefully assembled one of the strongest rosters you’ll see around the NFL, including a young, talented offensive line and a quarterback’s best friend in superstar wideout Michael Thomas. With Payton calling the shots, fans should have confidence that the Saints are ready for whatever comes next whether Hill, Winston, or someone else is under center once Brees has moved on.
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