A group of NFL.com writers came together to compile and rank the league’s 30 best players over the age of 30, and both Demario Davis and Tyrann Mathieu represented the New Orleans Saints on that list. The veterans were only separated by three spots. Davis came in at No. 21 and Mathieu wasn’t far behind at No. 24.
Davis has been a common appearance on rankings lately. His ability to impact the quarterback by applying pressure has been the recurring theme. But NFL.com’s Dan Parr took a different route to highlight his strengths:
Davis obviously knows how to blitz into the backfield to make a play, but don’t sleep on his ability to drop back, either. Targeted EPA measures the expected points added when a player is targeted as the nearest defender in coverage, and Davis led all linebackers with a mark of -18.4 last season. The guy is basically taking points off the board, folks.
Davis’ 6.5 sacks have been the biggest story, but he hasn’t lost his ability in coverage. This doesn’t even account for his run-stopping. Davis is still consistently racking up over 100 tackles and 10 tackles for a loss.
Parr’s peer Gennaro Filice dove deeper than the box score when spotlighting Mathieu. He pointed out intangibles such as, “instincts, tenacity, versatility and leadership jump off the screen.” Mathieu immediately stepped into a leadership role upon joining the team two years ago. Filice called Mathieu “a freakin’ DOG on the gridiron” who offers playmaking ability. Mathieu has intercepted 7 passes over the last two years and returned one for a touchdown.
In the secondary, a lot of weight rests on Mathieu’s shoulders to communicate to the rest of the defense in front of him. His vocal nature is one of the aspects that New Orleans appreciates the most about him. The secondary is the strength of the team, and Mathieu’s communication keeps the unit cycling. He and Davis may be on the older side, but the Saints are still asking a lot of them, and they continue to deliver.
