The 2023 NFL offseason is in full swing, and with that, training camps edge ever closer to starting. We have seen a new wave of players enter the team both via the draft and free agency, but there is also a large group of returning players from last season as well. This has led to some debates to be had regarding which players will have the largest impact on the roster for the 2023 season.
Each day we will be counting down the 25 most important Saints for the 2023 season. This will be split up into the following categories:
- Recap of their 2022 season
- Projecting their 2023 success
- What is the biggest question mark for them in 2023?
The eighth-ranked player by the Saints Wire staff is linebacker Pete Werner:
Background
Werner was a linebacker in college for a team that New Orleans loves to draw from, the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State is a defense with a lot of rotations and competition, but Werner found significant playing time for three seasons. He had 185 tackles with 16 for a loss with four sacks during his career. He had 13 pass breakups in coverage and four forced fumbles.
He was named to the 2020 All-Big Ten first team, then got drafted by the Saints in the second round a few months later in the 2021 NFL draft.
2022 Recap
Werner’s 2022 season had a lot more up and down that his rookie campaign. While he struggled with injury for a good portion of the season, missing five games throughout the season, he was more productive than 2021 in three less games. He had 80 tackles, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
He also did struggle with more missed tackles than his previous season, jumping up from three to 11. This was an issue that a lot of players had, so it could be more of a coaching issue as well.
2023 Outlook
With Kaden Elliss gone, Werner getting his health under control is more important than ever. He’ll be a key piece in the defense with almost no proven linebacker depth on the team after him and Demario Davis. He’s made good strides in his career to this point, but he will need to continue to make them.
Biggest question: Where is his career going with the Saints?
There is one thing that Pete Werner hasn’t done since November of 2020, log a sack. With Demario Davis aging, one would imagine who is next up to fill his role. Pete Werner is a fantastic linebacker, but might not be able to do everything that Davis does.
Davis had 6.5 sacks last season. Even Kaden Elliss had seven. Seeing Werner develop a bit of versatility and improve his pass rushing would be promising this season. Davis wasn’t always an elite pass rushing linebacker, so it is something that a player can grow into.
