Saints linebacker corps, secondary make PFF’s All-NFC South team

PFF’s preseason All-NFC South team was divided by positional units. The New Orleans Saints secondary and linebacker corps made the cut:

Pro Football Focus recently crafted an All-NFC South team made up of units, not individuals, with one notable exception. The only individual player was Kirk Cousins because quarterbacks have one starter, obviously.

The New Orleans Saints’ linebacker corps and secondary were selected as a part of the team. Their two selections tied them with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but one below the Atlanta Falcons. The Carolina Panthers were not represented.

Dennis Allen’s secondary is the clear strength of this team, so it shouldn’t be a surprised they are represented on the list. Marshon Lattimore has missed time over the last two seasons, but Paulson Adebo showed he can fill that void last year. If they’re both healthy, the Saints will have easily the best tandem in the division.

Tyrann Mathieu continues to play at a high level in the back end. Those three players create a strong enough unit to make up for questions at strong safety and lesser questions at nickel.

Demario Davis, Willie Gay Jr. and Pete Werner make up the strongest linebacker corps New Orleans has had in years. The battle between Gay and Werner is one to watch in training camp, but all three could get on the field at the same time if the Saints run less nickel and dime personnel than we’ve seen as of late. The ceiling is higher with all three players in the mix, but the winner of the battle will see the most play time next to Davis. That will ultimately have the largest impact on the defense.

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