Cameron Jordan’s long run as the face of the Saints defense is fading into the background, and that leaves New Orleans with a much different kind of question heading into 2026: who takes over the front four and makes the whole unit go?
The answer is Chase Young.
Young is now in the second year of the three-year extension he signed in the 2025 offseason, and the Saints are treating the 27-year-old edge rusher like the centerpiece of what Brandon Staley wants to build. After last season, that makes plenty of sense. Young missed the first five games with a calf injury, then came back and delivered the best stretch of his career, piling up 10.0 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and three fumble recoveries in only 12 games.
What stood out wasn’t just the production. It was the fit.
Young looked like a player who belonged in Staley’s system, one that gives disruptive defenders room to attack instead of forcing them into a rigid mold. His burst and downhill style fit that approach cleanly, and in 2026 the Saints need him to go from dangerous piece to full-time alpha.
With Jordan’s role changing, Young won’t be able to split attention or operate in the shadow of a prime veteran presence anymore. The expectation is that he owns the pass rush now, and his offseason program and minicamp work have pointed in that direction.
That kind of edge presence changes everything around him. When an offense has to slide protection, send help with a tight end, or keep a running back in to deal with one player, the ripple effect hits the rest of the defense. Young’s ability to squeeze the pocket from the outside can make life easier for the linebackers and speed up the quarterback’s clock in a hurry.
It also fits neatly with what New Orleans has behind him. The Saints have a deep, versatile safety group led by Justin Reid and Julian Blackmon, and a cornerback room that includes Kool-Aid McKinstry.
That secondary can do more damage if the quarterback is already under pressure, and Young gives Staley a chance to create that pressure without leaning heavily on blitzes. That means more opportunities to drop seven into coverage, squeeze passing windows, and turn ordinary downs into takeaways.
Young has said he has found a football family and a true home in New Orleans, and the organization has responded by putting him at the center of the defense. If the Saints are going to chase the NFC South and make noise in the postseason in 2026, this transition on the defensive line can’t just be managed - it has to be used. Young has the tools, the scheme, and the health to make that happen.
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