The New Orleans Saints have done a good job of addressing the defensive interior in free agency, adding Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd, but could still use some help in the trenches.
A lot of experts believe that the Saints will address the need early in the draft, but there are plenty of options throughout that would help the team dearly. What the Saints truly need is help in the pass rush from the inside, but added run defense would always be a plus.
They don’t really need a starter, because of the players that they added, but instead a depth piece for now with a high ceiling would work very well. Here are some options from all three days of the 2023 NFL draft that would look good in black and gold:
Early rounds: Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
Kancey has become a fan-favorite selection in the first round for the Saints, and for good reason. He’s an ultra athletic (9.60 Relative Athletic Score), yet undersized, defensive tackle that would give the team a weapon in both pass-rush and run defense as opposed to most other players in this class being specialists. He makes up for his size with his motor and strength.
Early rounds: Bryan Bresee, Clemson
Bresee has gone through a ton of battles off the football field which led to a drop of his play on the field, but he still has a ton of upside to look forward to. He flashed most as a pass rusher, which is what the Saints need from their interior. I’d say he has a Chris Jones-type of ceiling, exactly what the doctor ordered in New Orleans. I’d say he needs more time to develop than some of the other guys on the table in the early rounds, but situationally would be able to play right away.
Middle rounds: Zacch Pickens, South Carolina
Pickens is a player that has been intriguing for a while, as he has a ton of physical traits but has never fully clicked on the field. He’s gotten consistently better, though, which is all you can ask from a player. He has a good base set to work with for the Saints and is a coachable talent. It looks like he’ll go at the very earliest in the late third round, it would be a great pickup for the Saints if they find better options at other positions earlier in the draft.
Middle rounds: Kobie Turner, Wake Forest
Turner has been underrated his entire life, but recently got a chance to move up from the FCS at Richmond to go to Wake Forest for his last college season and he really showed out. He had 10 tackles for a loss last season to go along with two sacks. Two isn’t a crazy number, but he also brought a lot of pressure from the interior. He’s got a great ceiling for a guy that could go anywhere from the middle of the draft to the late end.
Late rounds: Jonah Tavai, San Diego State
Tavai has a ton of potential in the pass rush, he had over 80 pressures combined in just the last two seasons. He’s been one of the best pass rushers in the interior in that same time frame, adding 19 sacks to that pressure number. He’s a little small at under 290 pounds, but there is a resurgence of those smaller and more athletic players at the position. He will have a great situational presence for his entire career.
Late rounds: Jacob Slade, Michigan State
Slade is a bit more well rounded of a prospect and is the type of guy that the Saints like to target at the end of the draft and into free agency. He’s a very strong and larger type of tackle, leaning more into run defense than pass rush but with a mix of both. He’s got the size to play immediately, which the team will value in a late-round pick.
