Saints’ big defensive ends will be key in stopping Bijan Robinson

Bijan Robinson is looking to run outside the tackles, so Carl Granderson and Chase Young will be key to the Saints stopping the Falcons’ leading rusher:

The defensive ends will be a critical part of helping the New Orleans Saints stop Atlanta Falcons’ running back Bijan Robinson. When you think about containing a running back, you typically think of linebackers. Their job got more difficult with Demario Davis ruled out, but they’ll need the help of Carl Granderson and Chase Young.

Robinson likes to gets around the corner, and he’s extremely productive when he does. The running back has 196 yards on the season, and 155 of them are from runs outside the tackle. If you expand that range to Robinson’s career, he’s racked up 950 yards outside the tackle. Only Christian McCaffrey has more yardage since Robinson came to the NFL.

Robinson is looking to stretch the defense, and the play-side tackles are going to attempt to hook the defensive ends inside.

Granderson and Young are athletic players. If they can shed their blockers, they should do a good job turning Robinson back inwards. That’s where Willie Gay and Pete Werner should be to finish the play.

Continuing to force Robinson horizontal is also effective. Granderson and Young’s ability to keep Robinson from getting outside and down hill is key. If they can consistently force him to the sidelines or back towards hell then they’ve done their job.

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After 3 games, it’s clear Saints are reducing Cameron Jordan’s role

After three games, it’s clear the New Orleans Saints coaching staff are reducing Cameron Jordan’s role. It just comes down to who can make the most plays:

Did you know Cameron Jordan played the second-fewest snaps in a game of his career on Sunday? The New Orleans Saints defensive end was on the field for just 20 snaps while taking a backseat to younger teammates Carl Granderson (55) and Chase Young (53) against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jordan managed just 17 snaps in last year’s game with the Detroit Lions — his first since suffering a serious ankle injury, and that remains his career-low. He played 27 snaps in Week 1 (46% of the total) and 34 reps in Week 2 (49%), but that count dropped to 20 (28%) in Week 3.

Jordan was the best player on his side of the ball in New Orleans for more than a decade. But those days are behind us, and the Saints are making adjustments to cope with their new reality. Just ask head coach Dennis Allen.

“I think you’re gonna see more of Chase and Carl,” Allen said Monday, pointing out that those two have been too effective to keep off the field. The other side of that coin is that Jordan hasn’t been effective enough to take snaps from them.

Father Time is undefeated. He’s beaten Drew Brees and Jordan’s own father Steve Jordan, who found great success in 13 years with the Minnesota Vikings. Anyone who has watched Jordan play in recent years has known this day was coming. He only had two sacks last season. Jordan had 8.5 sacks the year before but five of them came in two games.

The signs of his decline have been there for those willing to acknowledge them. It’s why the Saints have poured so many resources into defensive end searching for his successor — signing Young in free agency, developing and extending Granderson, and spending high draft picks on guys like Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner, and Isaiah Foskey. It’s just a shame so few of those players have stepped up into the vacuum created by Jordan’s decline.

Between rotating in other players more heavily and moving him inside to defensive tackle occasionally, the Saints are trying to find ways for Jordan to continue helping the team. He’s under contract through 2025 but we’re clearly approaching the end of the line. And whenever Jordan hangs up his cleats to pick up a microphone for a job in the media, we’ll be ready to support his Hall of Fame candidacy.

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Sights and sounds from first half of Eagles matchup vs. Saints

The Eagles’ offense continued their first-half struggles, but Vic Fangio’s unit was stout and dominant, allowing just 71 yards to the Saints. Jalen Hurts turned the football over twice, and Nick Sirianni aggressively went for a fourth down …

The Eagles’ offense continued their first-half struggles, but Vic Fangio’s unit was stout and dominant, allowing just 71 yards to the Saints. Jalen Hurts turned the football over twice, and Nick Sirianni aggressively went for a fourth down conversion over attempting a field goal late in the first half, costing Philadelphia points.

The Eagles trail 3-0 at the end of the first half, and we have the sights and sounds from the Caesars Superdome.

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Chase Young is one of the NFL’s fastest pass rushers off the snap

Chase Young is one of the NFL’s fastest pass rushers off the snap. The recovery he’s made from last year’s neck injury needs to be seen to be believed:

Everyone spends the offseason trying to get better. Putting in hours in the weight room and working on the field after practice separates those who are going through the motions from those who want to be great. But some players are dealing with even more unique circumstances. Look at Chase Young, the New Orleans Saints defensive end who signed his contract one day in March and underwent neck surgery the next. He spent his offseason working to recover from an ailment that slowed him down last season.

And the proof is in his performance. ESPN sports analytics writer Seth Walder shared an eye-opening graphic comparing the fastest pass rushers off the snap in the first week of 2024’s games to their averages from 2023. And nobody made more improvement than Young.

Walder found that Young got off the line of scrimmage 0.66 seconds after the snap in the Saints’ season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers. That was a full 0.16 better than his average a year ago (0.81), and it was a bigger jump than anyone else made around the NFL. Walder noted that this is a very stable stat with little variation from one year to the next. New York Giants pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux trailed Young with an improvement of 0.14 seconds, but no other player was faster than 0.13.

That’s a significant gap. It helps explain why Young played like he did last season — he drew a lot of criticism from San Francisco 49ers fans who, excited by their midseason trade for him, noticed he was slow to react and hesitant to rally to the ball. He was playing through a neck injury that required offseason surgery. Now he’s well and looking more like his old self.

Just ask his old teammates. When the Saints kicked off training camp in August, former Ohio State linebacker Pete Werner commented on Young moving with rare agility — something he’d first noticed when they were both Buckeyes, and that he now compared to other all-world athletes in New Orleans side by side. Young is different. We’re seeing that in his stats, the stories his opponents are telling about him, and the advanced stats tracking his every move on the field. If he keeps it up he could be one of the highest-paid players in free agency next spring. He just might end up being too valuable for the Saints to let walk away.

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Saints release unofficial depth chart for Week 2 at Cowboys

The Saints released their unofficial depth chart for Week 2’s game with the Cowboys, and there’s one big change from the roster they shared one week ago:

The New Orleans Saints released their unofficial depth chart for Week 2’s road game with the Dallas Cowboys, and there’s one notable change from the initial roster they shared one week ago.

It’s Will Harris starting at strong safety next too Tyrann Matheiu, not Jordan Howden. That lines up with what we saw in their season-opening in over the Carolina Panthers. Harris didn’t just open the game as a starter and intercept Bryce Young on the game’s first play from scrimmage. He was the only Saints defender to stay on the field for every defensive snap.

Beyond that, things are largely the same. The Saints are still using the “or” designation at backup quarterback for Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler, though it was Rattler relegated to the NFL-mandated role as their emergency quarterback in Week 1. After the game head coach Dennis Allen said that role could change from week to week as both young passers compete for the job as QB2.

There’s one other position where the Saints are using the “or” designation. Carl Granderson and Chase Young are listed as co-starters at right defensive end. What’s interesting is we didn’t see that reflected in Week 1. Granderson lined up on the right side for just 11 of his 40 defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus charting. It was Young dominating snaps on the right side, where he played all 37 snaps. That’s a reversal from last season when Granderson played 846 of his 870 defensive snaps on the right side of the line. Cameron Jordan is the listed starter at the left defensive end spot but he only took 22 of his 27 snaps there.

So this is a good reminder that this is very much an unofficial depth chart for reference purposes, not a set-in-stone pecking order. The Saints will continue to move players around so they can put guys in what they feel is the best position to make a play. Here’s the full thing:

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Chase Young makes an instant impact in Saints debut

Chase Young registered six pressures in his first game with the Saints according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Disruption is production:

The New Orleans Saints brought Chase Young in with one clear intention in mind: amplify the pass rush. In his first game with the Black and Gold, he achieved this objective. It’s admittedly a small sample size against a poor Carolina Panthers offensive line, but so far he has done what the Saints brought him in to do.

You may look at the box score and question this sentiment because Young didn’t register a sack. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, however, Young recorded six pressures. That was the best on the team and better than double the next closest player on the team.

This is the desired effect everyone hoped for. Pressures are like the forgotten child of the pass rush family at times, but they help tell the full story of how well a player is getting after the quarterback. Disruption is production.

Those pressures will need to turn into sacks eventually, but for the season debut it’s a good start.

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Panthers rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders on Chase Young’s ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment

Don’t let the box score fool you into thinking Chase Young didn’t make a big impact. Panthers rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders has the bruises to prove it:


Welcome to the NFL, rookie. That’s the message Carolina Panthers tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders took away from Chase Young bulldozing him in the New Orleans Saints’ dominant Week 1 win.

“Honestly, we had a run play and Chase Young just ran straight through my face,” Sanders groaned, wincing with a self-deprecating smile on Monday. “That was my real wakeup call to the NFL. Just knowing that you can’t outmuscle every guy, that these are all grown-(expletive) men and they all strong as hell.”

When asked what went through his mind after Young made him eat turf, Sanders shook his head and replied, “I’m not letting that (expletive) happen again.”

Don’t let Young’s empty box score fool you. The veteran defensive end wasn’t credited with a sack or even a tackle, but he made a consistent impact in this game by drawing double teams, pressuring Bryce Young, and throwing guys like Sanders off the line of scrimmage. Pro Football Focus charting found Young generated five pressures in this game with a 23.1% win rate on passing downs. That win rate ranked fifth-best among qualifying defensive ends around the league (25 or more pass rush snaps).

If that doesn’t convince you Young was a big player for the Saints in this game, just ask his opponents. Sanders has the bruises to prove it.

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Panthers rookie TE Ja’Tavion Sanders jokes about his viral ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment

Panthers rookie TE Ja’Tavion Sanders got blasted by Saints DE Chase Young in Week 1. He spoke about the “wake-up call” on Monday.

Welcome to the NFL, Ja’Tavion Sanders.

The Carolina Panthers rookie tight end tasted more than just defeat in his very first regular-season game on Sunday. He also, thanks to New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young, got a sample of the turf over at Caesars Superdome . . .

Sanders was asked about the humbling hit on Monday.

“Honestly, we had a run play and Chase Young just ran straight through my face,” he said with a smile. “That was my real wake-up call to the NFL—just knowing that you can’t outmuscle every guy, that these are all grown-[expletive] men and they all strong as hell.”

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With injuries to fellow tight ends Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas, Sanders got the starting nod in his NFL debut this weekend. The 2024 fourth-round pick played 43 of the offense’s 59 snaps, recording one catch for four yards in the 47-10 loss.

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Saints pick a pass rusher in final preseason 2025 mock draft

The New Orleans Saints could be looking for defensive line help again next season. Saints draft Mykel Williams in B/R 2025 mock draft

The New Orleans Saints open their season against the Carolina Panthers in just a matter of days. Before we completely focus on the upcoming year, let’s take one last look at a 2025 mock draft.

Bleacher Report’s scouting department projected the Saints will end with the 10th overall pick in next year’s draft and draft Georgia’s Mykel Williams, one of the most exciting pass rushers in this draft class.

The position is completely feasible. Chase Young will likely leave after the season. Carl Granderson is the team’s lead pass rusher. Instead of looking for Cameron Jordan’s running mate, they would be looking for his replacement. A major turn of events

There are two points in their explanation that are off-putting specifically in regards to selecting Williams.

“Williams is more of a traits prospect who has impressive strength at the point of attack to collapse the pocket as a pass-rusher than he is a finished product. But he’d be a good addition for the future of New Orleans’ defense,” wrote B/R’s Matt Holder.

The Saints don’t need that type of player in the top-10. New Orleans has had their struggles defending the run, but that area of the draft is meant for pass rushers. That’s what the Saints would need draft an impact rusher in this portion.

Been there, done that. If Williams can return from injury to have a productive season rushing the passer then this conversation changes. For now, the description provided doesn’t feel like the best pick for the Saints with the tenth overall selection.

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Saints share unofficial depth chart for Week 1 vs. Panthers

The New Orleans Saints shared their unofficial depth chart for Week 1’s kickoff game with the Carolina Panthers:

The New Orleans Saints shared their unofficial depth chart for Week 1’s kickoff game with the Carolina Panthers. What’s new? What checks out based on what we’ve seen over the summer? Here’s our first look.

There aren’t too many surprises, but a few things do stand out. Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill are listed as the starters at tight end, ahead of Juwan Johnson. That makes sense given how much time he missed this offseason recovering from foot surgery.

On the other side of the ball, it’s Jordan Howden projected to start at safety next to Tyrann Mathieu, not Will Harris or Johnathan Abram, who both played ahead of him throughout the preseason.

And there are two positions hit with the controversial “or” designation: defensive end and quarterback. Either Carl Granderson or Chase Young is penciled in to start across from Cameron Jordan, while the backup quarterback will be either Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler.

In the former case, it’s probably a situation where the Saints don’t want to ruffle anyone’s feathers and label either deserving veteran the starting right defensive end. In the latter case, they want the young quarterbacks to keep pushing each other and prove why they should be the next man up if Derek Carr has to miss any time.

Now with that said, it’s important to remember this depth chart is unofficial and created by the media relations staff, not the coaches or anyone in the front office. It’s a projection not a set-in-stone lineup. What we see on Sunday may look different but the broad strokes should remain the same. See for yourself, and remember that starters’ names are emboldened while rookies are underlined:

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