A couple of New Orleans Saints standouts were recognized on the list of the top 101 NFL players of the 2022 season from Pro Football Focus analyst Sam Monson. They’re both veteran defenders, and they happened to lead the team in snaps played last season. But neither player made the cut for the top 50, which hurts, and only one of them was selected for the Pro Bowl Games all-star event.
Ah well. Tyrann Mathieu and Demario Davis figure to be a major part of the team’s success in 2023 anyway. Here’s what PFF had to say about each of them:
60. Tyrann Mathieu
Mathieu ranked second on the team in snaps played in 2022, having been on the field for 1,129 of a possible 1,132 reps. He also led the team in takeaways and took charge of an ever-changing secondary that never played together at full strength due to injuries. Monson’s writeup on him:
“The New Orleans defense underachieved in 2022, but there were impressive individual performances within the unit, and Tyrann Mathieu was one of them. In coverage, Mathieu had four pass breakups to go along with three interceptions, and he lined up all over the Saints’ secondary.”
52. Demario Davis
Davis finally won a Pro Bowl bid in 2022, having played all 1,132 defensive snaps for New Orleans and continued to lead one of the league’s best defenses. He’s showing his age at times but he still is a force at the second level of the field. Monson says he’s the best player on the team:
“Since arriving in New Orleans, Davis has been one of the best linebackers in football, and this year was no exception. He recorded four pass breakups in coverage and racked up 43 defensive stops while earning impressive grades in every area except tackling, where 17 misses was a rare below-average return for him.”
