Saints land 9 players on ESPN’s NFC South all-decade team

The New Orleans Saints landed players on ESPN’s NFC South all-decade team, best in the division, with coach Sean Payton headlining the list.

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The New Orleans Saints ran away from the pack in ESPN’s all-decade team for the NFC South, with nine players making the cut and coach Sean Payton recognized as the best among his peers — with quarterback Drew Brees named Saints player of the decade, too boot.

Sure, the Carolina Panthers made it close with eight of their own players named to the all-decade list. But the rest of the NFC South didn’t fare nearly as well, with the Atlanta Falcons (four players) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (three) barely making a blip on the radar. It’s been a two-team race in the division for quite some time now.

Intriguingly, three of the nine Saints players on ESPN’s all-NFC South team only entered the NFL in the second half of the decade: wide receiver Michael Thomas, right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, and cornerback Marshon Lattimore. If the Saints can hammer out long-term extensions with each of them (Thomas signed on for the long haul last summer), that suggests the team will be well set up to succeed once Brees rides off into the sunset, joining other teammates on the list like right guard Jahri Evans and safety Roman Harper.

With decorated veterans such as left tackle Terron Armstead, defensive end Cameron Jordan, and punter Thomas Morstead at the helm, the Saints might have the best mix of young talent and experienced leadership you’ll find around the NFL.

Here’s the NFC South all-decade team from ESPN, as voted on by ESPN NFL Nation reporters. Saints players named are listed in bold text:

Offense

Defense

  • DE: Cameron Jordan, Saints, 2011-present
  • DE: Charles Johnson, Panthers, 2007-17
  • DT: Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers, 2010-18; Panthers 2019
  • DT: Kawann Short, Panthers, 2013-present
  • LB: Luke Kuechly, Panthers, 2012-19
  • LB: Thomas Davis, Panthers, 2005-18
  • LB: Lavonte David, Buccaneers, 2012-present
  • CB: Desmond Trufant, Falcons, 2013-19
  • CB: Marshon Lattimore, Saints, 2017-present
  • S: Roman Harper, Saints, 2006-13, 2016; Panthers, 2014-15
  • S: William Moore, Falcons 2009-15

Special teams

  • KR/PR: Devin Hester, Falcons, 2014-15
  • K: Matt Bryant, Falcons, 2009-19; Buccaneers 2005-08
  • P: Thomas Morstead, Saints, 2009-19

What do you think? Did the experts at ESPN get anything wrong?

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