The Saints didn’t finish their offseason search for an edge rusher, and Week 1 made that obvious fast.
New Orleans went into 2026 with EDGE sitting near the top of the need list. A lot of the premium free agents were already off the board by then, so the expectation was that the Saints would attack the position in the draft, either in the first round or on day 2.
That never came together. Instead, they traded for Tyree Wilson from the Las Vegas Raiders and added former New England Patriot Anfernee Jennings.
That gave the Saints options, but not a perfect answer. Wilson was a former first-round pick who never got close to that kind of production in the NFL, while Jennings has been stronger against the run than as a pass rusher. Cam Jordan’s return later helped deepen the rotation, but the opener against the Lions showed the room still has real issues.
Detroit’s plan was clear: stop Young, force the rest of the rush to win. Once that happened, the Saints didn’t get enough from the edge group.
Granderson wasn’t effective as a pass rusher, Tyree Wilson missed too many tackles, and Jennings did most of his damage against the run. Vernon Broughton, out of the defensive tackle group, ended up being the second-best pass rusher on the day.
Jordan’s presence matters, but at his age there’s no guarantee he can keep covering up the problem.
New Orleans can get through this season without another edge addition. But if the goal is to keep moving this rebuild forward, “get by” isn’t the same thing as solving it.
That’s why Kayvon Thibodeaux comes back into the picture.
During the 2026 NFL Draft, there were rumors the Saints were trying to work out a trade for the New York Giants edge rusher. The word then was that New Orleans might have been willing to part with its third-round pick, which became Bryce Lance, but the Giants were holding out for a second-rounder.
The Saints wouldn’t go that far, and in the end that turned out fine for them because Christen Miller was a good pick. Still, the conversation never really went away.
Now it could resurface. The 2027 NFL Draft is expected to be loaded, and teams around the league will be trying to stockpile draft capital.
With the season already underway, the Saints may be able to revisit Thibodeaux at a lower cost, potentially sending a third-round pick. For the Saints, that would help both now and later on this defensive line.
The catch is the Giants still may not blink if they believe they’re in position to compete, which means they could keep pushing for a second-round return.
In Other News...
Saints Just Sent A Strong Signal About A Rookie Running Back
The Saints made a notable backfield move this week by promoting rookie running back CJ Donaldson from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. An undrafted free agent out of Ohio State, Donaldson now gets a clearer path to stick around in New Orleans after first arriving as a developmental option, and his elevation says something about how the team views his potential and need for depth in the backfield.
The roster shuffle came with a special teams wrinkle, too, as the spot opened when long snapper Zach Wood was placed on injured reserve. New Orleans moved quickly to keep that part of the operation intact, signing veteran long snapper Scott Daly to the practice squad, while Donaldsons jump to the active roster gives the Saints a little more flexibility as they sort through their next stretch of personnel decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Offense Is Changing Fast Under Kellen Moore
The Saints have been quick to show how much their offense is changing under Kellen Moore, and the recent matchup with the Lions offered a clear snapshot of it. New Orleans leaned more heavily on under-center snaps, getting there about 30 percent of the time, a noticeable jump from last season and a sign the staff is trying to build a more varied look for the offense.
Moore and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier have pointed to the value of mixing personnel and formations, especially with 13 personnel packages helping shape the play-calling. That shift has also brought new faces into the conversation, including tight ends Oscar Delp and Noah Fant, as the Saints work to create a more diverse and less predictable attack while the system takes hold. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Still Have A Say In One Process Fans Care About
Jeff Duncans new role on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee gives Saints fans a familiar name to watch in a process that already feels different. The committee has been trimmed from 50 members to 28 after a two-year review, part of a broader overhaul designed to streamline how modern-era candidates are evaluated, with a single presenter now handling all finalists and no geographic assignments for selectors.
The reset also sends the voters back to in-person meetings, adding a different kind of debate room feel to one of footballs most scrutinized honors. Along with Duncan, the group includes Hall of Famers Jared Allen, Dan Fouts and Will Shields, plus current and former media members, leaving New Orleans with at least one voice inside a room that will help shape a process plenty of fans follow closely every year. [Read more 🡒]