The New Orleans Saints are still sorting themselves out in 2026, but Chase Young isn’t waiting around for the bigger picture to come into focus. With the team sitting at 3-5 and still alive in the NFC South race, Young has kept the pressure on from the edge, and his production is backing up the swagger.
The Saints pass rusher has been one of the brighter stories on the roster. After posting 10 sacks last season, he already has eight this year, and his confidence was on full display Thursday when he met with the media.
“I never felt like somebody could block me. My first year with the Saints, when I was top ten in pressures, I wasn’t landing the sacks, but I was winning.
I'm not used to getting blocked. Even when they said I was a bust… I was still winning,” the Saints star said, via New Orleans Football Network.
Young’s path to this point has had plenty of twists. The former second overall pick had a rough stretch with the Washington Commanders, though there were still flashes along the way. He put together a 7.5-sack rookie season, then managed just one sack combined over the next two years, with one of those seasons cut short by injury.
He got back on track in 2023 after being traded to the San Francisco 49ers, finishing that year with 7.5 sacks combined between the two teams.
Now, across parts of three seasons in New Orleans, Young has racked up 23.5 sacks and grown into a clear leader on the defense. If the Saints are going to make a push this season, he’s made it clear he expects to be at the center of it on the defensive line.
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Saints Top Draft Slot Could Reshape Two Trouble Spots
With the draft board starting to take shape, the Saints are looking at a first-round decision that could help solve two of their biggest roster questions at once. Offensive tackle Zeroue Williams and edge rusher Devan Thompkins both fit areas where New Orleans could use a long-term boost, and each brings a different kind of appeal depending on how the team wants to attack the 12th pick.
Williams offers the kind of size and positional profile that can stabilize the line, while Thompkins would give the Saints another way to pressure opposing quarterbacks. The coaching staffs direction will matter here, as will how the front office weighs immediate need against overall value, but the larger point is clear: this pick could be the one that starts to reshape two trouble spots on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Pass Rush Is Suddenly Raising A Bigger Question
The Saints have found a real edge off the corner in Chase Young and Carl Granderson, and it has changed the feel of their defense this season. Young sits second in the league in sacks, Granderson is tied for fourth, and together they have become one of the NFLs most productive pass-rushing pairs. Grandersons recent run has been especially notable, with multiple sacks in four straight games, something the franchise had not seen since 2013.
For a team trying to build on its defensive identity, the obvious next question is how sustainable this surge really is. Young and Granderson have given New Orleans a legitimate weekly pressure threat, but the bigger challenge now is whether the Saints can keep getting that kind of disruption when opponents start adjusting their protections and game plans around them. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Midseason Review Exposes One Offensive Strength And One Real Concern
Midway through the season, the Saints offense has made the preseason position-by-position debate look pretty different than it did in August. The running backs have not lived up to expectations, with injuries and other factors slowing that group down, while the wide receivers have emerged as one of the teams most reliable units. Quarterback Tyler Shough has also pushed the conversation forward by exceeding expectations and helping lead multiple comeback drives.
The one area that still hangs over the offense is the line, where depth and performance issues continue to raise questions. Even with the receiving corps holding steady and Shough giving the Saints a chance in tight games, the front five remains the part of the unit that could determine how far this offense can really go. [Read more 🡒]