The New Orleans Saints’ path to an offensive jump in 2026 starts in the same place so many teams’ hopes do: up front.
Last season, the Saints’ offensive line ranked 26th in the league, according to NFL analyst Ryan Paganetti, and that kind of play left plenty of room for trouble. Tyler Shough, who has only started half a season’s worth of games, was sacked 31 times in nine games. For a young quarterback trying to settle in, that’s a rough place to live.
That’s why the line matters so much for what comes next. If it stabilizes, Shough gets a cleaner pocket, the run game gets a boost, and the whole offense has a chance to move forward. If it doesn’t, the ceiling stays low.
The optimism around New Orleans has already started to spread beyond local circles. The Athletic included the Saints’ offense among its breakout candidates for 2026, with Ted Nguyen pointing directly to the front five: “If the offensive line lives up to its potential, New Orleans has a chance to make a big jump.”
There’s reason for that belief. The Saints put real resources into the unit, highlighted by the signing of David Edwards, who was the top guard available in free agency. They also added Jermiah Wright in the draft as a depth piece, and both young tackles are expected to take a step in their careers.
Shough managed to make his mark despite one of the league’s worst lines, so even a modest improvement could go a long way. For New Orleans, the formula is simple: move the offensive line forward, and the offense can follow. If that doesn’t happen, 2026 could get long in a hurry.
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