The New Orleans Saints did not have the season that fans wanted in 2023, but that doesn’t mean that it was all bad. Among the disappointing finish were a few players that outperformed their expectations and gave fans something to look forward to in the future.
Here are six names that we felt pleasantly surprised with their play:
1
Paulson Adebo
Paulson Adebo solidified himself as a member of the Saints starting lineup during training camp. After winning a battle versus Alontae Taylor, Adebo continued to prove himself. He was a defensive player of the week and even received All-Pro votes. Adebo has solidified himself as the starting cornerback opposite of Marshon Lattimore. Depending on Lattimore’s future, Adebo might have solidified himself as the team’s number-one corner.
2
Demario Davis
This one is personal. I expected Davis to still be good, but I certainly didn’t expect him to be an All Pro player at the age of 34. He continues to be a talented pass rusher for the Saints as well in the latter years of his tenure. The way he continues to defy standards for his age is impressive. One day he won’t have it, but I won’t ever predict it.
3
Bryan Bresee
It’s been a while since a rookie lineman impressed in his first year with New Orleans. You have to go even farther back to find a defensive lineman who showed promise as a rookie. Bresee wasn’t dominant, but he showed potential. His spin move looks like it can be a deadly part of his pass rushing arsenal. He’s also shown the ability to knock down passes at the line of scrimmage better than most rookies.
4
Isaac Yiadom
The plan going into the season was certainly not to have Yiadom play nearly half of the defense’s snaps at cornerback, but he slid into the role very well. The emergence of Adebo, as previously mentioned, took some of the praise from Yiadom who played very well given his expectations. He had just one interception this season, but had 14 passes defended which is tied for second on the team with Alontae Taylor. Hopefully the Saints can bring him back in free agency.
5
Rashid Shaheed
Everyone hoped that last season was more than a flash in the pan for Shaheed, and this season he proved that he will be around for a while as he continued to progress as a receiver. The big jump in his performance, though, came as a return man. He was named to both the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams as a return specialist. He improved his punt return average by 3.9 yards per return and had a touchdown as well. He had almost 500 more all-purpose yards on the season and will be a solid second option for the offense next season.
6
Jordan Howden
Howden saw over half of the defensive snaps this season and held his own, looking impressive for a fifth-round draft selection. He finished second among the team’s safeties in pretty much every category, stepping up nicely with the loss of Marcus Maye after November. He should be in the competition to start in his second year with the Saints.
