Countdown to Kickoff: Willie Gay Jr. is the Saints Player of Day 6

With only six days remaining to the Saints’ Week 1 kickoff, our player of the day is Willie Gay Jr.

We have only six days remaining until the New Orleans Saints Week 1 kickoff against the Carolina Panthers, making today’s player of the day Willie Gay Jr, the current wearer of the No. 6 jersey. With the linebacker core shifting for 2024, the new addition for New Orleans has a chance to take snaps away from Pete Werner, among others.

Let’s take a look at the background of Gay Jr. before looking into what we can expect from him in the 2024 season.

  • Name (Age): Willie Gay Jr. (26)
  • Position: Linebacker
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-1, 243 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 9.70
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $3,000,000
  • College: Mississippi State
  • Drafted: Round 2 Pick 63 (Kansas City Chiefs)
  • NFL experience: 5th season

The Saints have made a solid few additions this offseason in hopes of solidifying their team both with starters and depth, Willie Gay Jr. is somewhere in the middle. Initially, he was viewed as a starting candidate who would receive significant snaps after a somewhat down season for Pete Werner and a tough start to camp. However, an improvement later in camp and an extension have vaulted Werner back into starting contention, which makes the linebacking unit extremely intriguing as the Saints typically only run two linebackers on the field at one time. Presumably, we can expect both Werner and Gay Jr. to get playing time in different scenarios, which is why both are viewed so highly alongside Demario Davis.

Gay Jr. is coming off a somewhat down season, as well, having only 58 total tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, four pass deflections and an interception. However, he did also have three fumble recoveries and a career-best 76.4 passer rating allowed when targeted. His success in pass defense as well as impact plays was not noted statistically, but he did receive a career high in defensive snaps with 624 played, as well as a career high 15 games started. We will see what scenarios he plays in come the 2024 season given these scenarios.

Demario Davis praises Anfernee Orji’s growth: ‘He’s done an incredible job’

Anfernee Orji has taken a step up from his rookie year, and it’s caught the eye of Demario Davis: ‘He’s done an incredible job’

The New Orleans Saints picked up Anfernee Orji as an undrafted free agent last year and was retained through the year. The opportunity has presented itself for Orji to move up the depth chart this offseason and he has taken advantage.

After the Big 3 of Demario Davis, Pete Werner and Willie Gay, it’s wide open at linebacker. Nephi Sewell is still out with an injury, and Orji has been performing like a prime candidate for the role of a backup and key special teams contributor.

Orji was one of the stars of the Saints’ second preseason game, receiving one of the highest Pro Football Focus player ratings. That improvement has been recognized by Davis, the leader of the defense.

Davis compared what he’s seen of Orji this year versus last year: “I think it’s been as much improvement as you can have in a player. … You saw it in flashes of what he potentially could be. He’s done an incredible job of not only putting in the work but letting it transfer into his game.”

Consistency has been the key difference to Davis, and it will continue to be the key. Davis believes Orji has a high ceiling if he can continue to put together the quality of practices and games he has done this year. Orji’s last hurdle lies ahead on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans in their final preseason game.

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Watch: Willie Gay Jr. mic’d up at New Orleans Saints training camp

Newcomer Willie Gay Jr. was mic’d up at a recent New Orleans Saints training camp practice. Here’s a day of work from his perspective.

The New Orleans Saints finally placed a microphone on a new addition. After getting perspective from offensive players back to back in Rashid Shaheed and Cesar Ruiz, the Saints dipped back into the defensive pool with Willie Gay Jr. Alontae Taylor was the first player to be mic’d up at Saints training camp and also the last defender.

Throughout the video, you can see the energy he goes through practice with. He’s racing Dennis Allen, dancing, and talking with anyone in earshot about more dancing and the music playing.

There were no pads worn for this practice, which was uncomfortable to Gay because the Saints had worn pads so many days in a row at that point. Gay is already endearing himself to fans who watch this video.

“I look good in Black and Gold,” Gay said. “I didn’t look this good in red and yellow.”

Gay is new to the team, but he’s clearly connected fast and fits right in. His attitude and talent make him a strong fit in the middle unit of the Saints defense.

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Ranking the Saints’ five best offseason additions: No. 4, Willie Gay

Willie Gay has the potential to elevate the Saints linebacker corps, but first he must win a training camp battle with Pete Werner:

The New Orleans Saints were selective in free agency and Willie Gay Jr. was the first major free agent pick up. He’s also the first free agent on our top-five offseason addition rankings.

And the veteran linebacker has a very clear role in the Saints defense before ever taking a snap. Gay will be one of the three linebackers in the Saints base defense. It isn’t guaranteed, but it would be shocking if that wasn’t the floor for him on the defense. He’ll also compete with Pete Werner for the coveted spot next to Demario Davis in New Orleans’ more popular two-linebacker formations.

Pro Football Focus has already projected him to win this battle and called Davis and Gay a top-10 linebacker unit. That speaks volumes to how the free agency pick up raises the roof of the linebacker corps and defense.

Gay’s speed and functional athleticism is the part of his game that creates the most excitement. It’s also a huge advantage he has over his competitor. The Saints’ struggles going sideline to sideline creates a heavier emphasis on speed.

If Gay walked in the room as a guaranteed starter, he’d be one spot higher on the list. He, however, is faced with a tough battle. That fight lands him fourth on the list, for now.

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PFF ranks Demario Davis and Willie Gay Jr. as a top-10 linebacker unit

Demario Davis and Willie Gay give the Saints the ninth-best linebacker corps at PFF, and that’s before Pete Werner enters the conversation:

The New Orleans Saints linebacker corps is led by Demario Davis. The Saints have primarily run 2 linebacker sets, and who will line up beside him is the unknown. Willie Gay Jr. or Pete Werner. Pro Football Focus predicted the latter as they rank the Saints linebacker unit as the ninth-best in pro football.

This could be because Davis is just that good. Will it be Werner or Gay? Who knows, but Demario Davis is the pillar of consistency. Davis gives the linebacker corps has a high floor, as long as he sustains his level of play, and his running mate will decide the ceiling. Here’s why PFF’s Gordon McGuinness is so high on them:

Demario Davis, 35, will eventually start to decline, but not yet. He has now put together six straight seasons of earning a 75.0-plus PFF grade. Willie Gay joined the Saints in free agency, and while he endured his lowest-graded season in the NFL last year, he has proven himself to be a solid player in the past.

The sentiment of the free agent taking the lead seems to be gaining steam nationally. When speaking about the unit, Werner feels like the man left out of the conversation despite not feeling like the odd man out in reality. He was playing ahead of Gay at minicamp, but Gay was getting plenty of looks in  passing situations in team drills.

There’s a genuine battle at that spot, and it’s hard to say who has the lead at the moment. If it does end as Demario Davis and Willie Gay, PFF believes that gives the Saints a top-10 unit.

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Saints linebacker duo find themselves on PFF Top 32 LB rankings

PFF ranked the best linebackers in the NFL. Demario Davis was an easy choice, but his Saints running mate may surprise you: Willie Gay, not Pete Werner

New Orleans Saints linebackers Demario Davis and Willie Gay Jr. made the list for the NFL’s 32 best linebackers at Pro Football Focus. This made them one of 11 teams to place multiple players on the list. Gay’s skillset has already sparked some excitement this offseason, and seeing the pairing included in exclusive company should only fan the flames.

It is no surprise Davis found himself near the top of the list. He has been one of the best in the NFL and a perennial All-Pro player for a half-decade. He comes in as the third best linebacker in PFF’s list. Even at 35, Davis continues to be the leader and heartbeat of the linebacking corps and entire defense.

Davis is joined by the Saints offseason acquisition Willie Gay at 31. Here’s where things gets interesting, because he isn’t guaranteed to be the starter. He’ll be competing with Pete Werner to start alongside Davis. It’s important to not this list shouldn’t be used as an indication of Gay’s position on the depth chart but rather his talent.

It’s clear PFF valued his athleticism and rangy skillset. Gay has aired his grievances on usage in Kansas City before and his placement within the top 32 would suggest PFF shared the sentiment. The battle between Gay and Werner will be one of the most important and entertaining battles of training camp.

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D’Marco Jackson predicted to be the Saints’ most notable roster cut

It’s way too early, but Bleacher Report is already predicting the Saints’ most notable roster cut will be linebacker D’Marco Jackson:

Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon predicted linebacker D’Marco Jackson as the New Orleans Saints most notable roster cut. Jackson isn’t a notable name on the roster, so him ending as the most notable roster cut would be great for the Saints. That means a player like Payton Turner once again looks good in training camp.

Kenyon’s criteria for the most notable roster cut from each team, identifying a player who may not be released early in the offseason, but instead after training camp. More likely than not, each team’s notable roster cut won’t happen until right before final roster cuts. Here’s why he sees the Saints possibly moving on from Jackson:

On the bright side, the Saints are stacked with experience at linebacker. Demario Davis and Pete Werner combined for 214 tackles last year, and Nephi Sewell showed promise, too. New Orleans also signed Willie Gay Jr., Khaleke Hudson and Monty Rice this offseason before drafting Jaylan Ford. All of those additions may have squeezed out D’Marco Jackson.

Jackson is definitely fighting for a roster spot, and rookie draft pick Jaylan Ford is the player most likely to squeeze him out. Davis, Werner, and Gay are roster locks. Last season, the Saints had five linebackers make the initial 53-man roster. So after the clear Big 3, that leaves two spots.

Sewell, Jackson and Ford are the most likely contenders entering training camp. Sewell will miss most, if not all, of training camp. If he is ready for the season, however, I project he earned a roster spot from his 2023 performance. The battle between Ford and Jackson will likely come down to special teams. If Jackson remains the best special teams player, he’ll retain his spot over Ford and the undrafted free agent rookies.

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2020 NFL Combine winners: Linebackers

Examining and identifying the top on-field linebackers performances from the 2020 NFL Combine.

The 2020 NFL Combine continued their on-field drills on Saturday night, this time featuring interior defensive lineman, EDGE rushers, and linebackers. As always, the workouts begin with the 40-yard-dash, and when they shifted into position drills, we got to see a handful of new drills.

The Lions seem pretty content with their off-the-ball linebackers, but they’re always looking for upgrades and players that can contribute on special teams — which this group is full of. Let’s take a look at those who earned positive marks today.

Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

6-3.5, 238, 40 y/d: 4.39, Vertical: 39″, Broad: 11′

It doesn’t matter if you like him as a linebacker or a safety, Simmons is a playmaker who ran one 4.39 second 40-yards dash and then did a Deion Sanders-like walk off — and most could care less he didn’t do any on-field drills.

With the way the Lions deploy their linebackers, I still believe Simmons is best suited as a hang defender role — similar to Tavon Wilson’s role, taking snaps in the box, over the slot, at MIKE, and single-high safety — in the Lions scheme because it would allow him to operate with more freedom, at all levels of the defense and expand the secondary’s coverage exponentially.

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The biggest obstacle I see with the Lions and Simmons potential marriage is that it goes against tradition for NFL teams to draft off-the-ball players early because of the value they get out of that position. Recently there has been a trend that has seen more off-the-ball prospects selected in the top-10, and Simmons is a special enough talent to keep the trend going, but I’m not sure the Lions are a team that would target him early.

Malik Harrison, Ohio State

6-2.5, 247, short shuttle: 4.32

Harrison, a more traditional style of linebacker for the Lions scheme, took advantage of a couple of key injuries to linebackers rated ahead of him and stole the show. Clearing the Lions’ benchmarks in both jumps and the short shuttle, Harrison is a perfect fit in the Lions scheme if they are looking for an upgrade on Day 2. With the Lions, Harrison would fit in as a WILL with potential to switch with the MIKE on any given play, and would be a nice complement to Jahlani Tavai as a potential starting pair down the road.

Willie Gay Jr., Mississippi State

6-1, 243, 40 y/d: 4.46, short shuttle: 4.3

Gay’s size, speed, and quickness were all on display at the Combine and if he had a clean off-the-field background — he was suspended for eight games last season — he would probably be much higher on the Lions draft board.

Notes:

  • Kenneth Murray (6-2.5, 241, Oklahoma) ran a 4.52 40-yard dash on his first attempt but was injured in his second and unable to finish the day. The testing he was able to complete was all terrific.
  • Casey Toohill (6-4.5, 250, Stanford) hit all the Lions athletic benchmarks, which could get him an undrafted free agent offer from Detroit.

#OnePride 2020 Lions Fan Mock Draft 4.0

The latest edition of #OnePride Fan based mock draft is based on a reader suggested scenario where quarterbacks are selected with the top two picks and allowing Chase Young to fall to the Lions.

Using the Draft Network‘s Mock Draft simulator, we at Lions Wire presented the #OnePride Twitter fan base four options in each round and allowed them to vote on who they would like the team to pick. After making their selection, the simulator picks for the other 31 teams and then the Lions’ fans are back on the clock for another selection.

For clarification, the four best players are selected by a Lions Wire staff editor/writer, but Lions Wire doesn’t vote — unless there is a tie — or influence the voting. Additionally, Lions Wire is not ranking the players where or when they are available — the simulator makes those decisions. We only offer up the best options.

This edition of the #OnePride Mock Draft was based on a scenario suggested by Lions Wire reader David Alexander — The Cincinnatti Bengals select LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first overall pick and then a quarterback-needy team trades with Washington to select a healthy Tua Tagovailoa, leaving the Lions with more options with the third pick.

Round 1, Pick 3: Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State

No surprise, Chase Young received 95-percent of the voting.

This is the exact scenario Lions Wire editor Jeff Risdon suggested in a recent Mock Draft he wrote for Real GM, where the Los Angeles Chargers traded up and Young fell to the Lions at pick three.

Because we are using Draft Network’s simulation in this edition, it makes sense to also use their writers for player summaries. Here is Kyle Crabbs summary on Young:

Chase Young is an elite NFL Draft prospect who can step into any defensive system in the league and find a home in the starting lineup. Young has a surreal potency as a pass rusher, constantly gaining ground, attacking hands and showcasing elite length and flexibility at the top of the arc. Young is a game changing player who opponents will have to cater game plans around in order to negate his disruptive qualities — he’s highly refined with hand tech and should be a splash starter right away.

Erik’s take: No brainer choice here as Young gives the Lions a boost in the pass-rushing department, while also allowing the players around him more freedom to make an impact.

Round 2, Pick 35: Grant Delpit, S, LSU

Crabbs player summary:

Grant Delpit projects as an impact defender at the NFL level. Tackling issues in the open field will put off some teams, but he’s physically capable of booming hits and his foundation as a player is a pretty rare blend of skills — making him an enticing every down defender that can be a centerpiece to weekly game plans. Delpit has high football intelligence and can handle any number of roles or responsibilities, adding him to a roster will add infinite flexibility to back-end coverage combos.

Erik’s take: By adding Delpit, the Lions can drop him at single-high, allowing Tracy Walker more time in his flex (JOKER) role, and shifting Will Harris into a more natural Tavon Wilson-like role.

Round 3, Pick, 67: K.J. Hill, slot WR, Ohio State

Draft Network’s Brad Kelly:

The veteran wideout has a skillset that is predicated on fluidity, able to snap off his route or accelerate through breaks with ease. There’s a reason he’s gotten open so much in his collegiate career, part of which is his understanding of voids and space in defenses.

Hill works the best out of the slot, but has the size and skillset to suggest he can survive outside in the NFL. With his career production, athleticism and talent, he’s a legitimate top-100 draft pick even in the loaded 2020 receiver class.

Erik’s take: The Lions will need to find a starter capable of winning from the slot and Hill brings them everything they are looking for.

Round 4, Pick 106: Damien Lewis, G, LSU

Crabbs player summary:

Damien Lewis projects as a scheme specific starter at the pro level. Lewis doesn’t have a lot of dynamic range and won’t be appealing to zone heavy rushing offenses and even in gap/power schemes he has some limitations that will temper his upside in the lineup. Lewis has enough foot speed, recovery ability and power to execute at an operational level as a starter and he’s at his best when he’s able to combo or block down in the run game. Tight quarters guard.

Erik’s take: Crabbs write-up suggests Lewis may not fit the Lions scheme, but I believe Lewis would challenge at right guard in Spring practices and by the end of training camp, he could end up as the Lions Day 1 starter.

Round 5, Pick 149: Raequan Williams, IDL, Michigan State

Draft Network’s Ben Sloak:

A longer player with great quickness who knows how to slant into gaps and win at the snap. Regularly the first player off the ball, Williams must fix his pad level to become a more effective player, but when he lands his hands inside his opponent, he can displace them frequently, working to a half-man to force the quarterback off his set point.

Erik’s take: Williams is a player the Lions have been scouting for several years now and can take over the previous role occupied by A’Shawn Robinson as a rotational interior defender.

Round 5, Pick 173: AJ Dillon, RB, Boston College

Crabbs player summary:

AJ Dillon projects best as a gap/power rusher at the NFL level. Dillon is at his best as a deep set back who can collect momentum working into the POA and carry his burst through the hole. Asking him to slow play, press the line and read/accelerate out of a cut takes away many of his appealing qualities. In a perfect world, Dillon is a short yardage specialist and/or early down back who can churn out tough yards and keep the offense on schedule with the sticks.

Erik’s take: For the first time this season, we had a vote that landed in a tie. Both AJ Dillon and Nebraska corner Lamar Jackson earned 35.6-percent of the vote and I broke the tiebreaker based on overall talent and year-one impact on the roster.

Round 6, Pick 182: Willie Gay Jr, LB, Mississippi State

Gay’s profile isn’t available yet at Draft Network yet, but he is highly-graded by Pro Football Focus:

Gay is one of the most confounding evaluations at the linebacker position in this class. His movement skills are top-notch for the position. He’ll likely run in at least the 4.5s — if not faster — and gains depth with ease in coverage.

After reeling in a pick-six on his very first drive of the season against Kentucky, Gay was subsequently suspended for undisclosed reasons after the game. The off-field vetting for Gay during the draft process may very well be as important as the on-field.

Erik’s take: Gay’s off-the-field situation may take him off the Lions draft board, but if they can overlook it, he would offer value late on Day 3 of the draft. Personally, I believe the front runner at this pick is likely Texas A&M punter Braden Mann.