Tyree Wilson arrives in New Orleans with a simple kind of hope attached to him: maybe the Saints can be the team that finally unlocks what made him such a high draft pick in the first place.
That’s the bet New Orleans made when it brought in Wilson, a low-risk move with the kind of upside teams chase when they think a player’s best football is still out there. ESPN’s Adam Schatz bought into the idea too, naming Wilson the nonstarter to know on the Saints roster.
The fit makes sense on paper because edge rusher was a clear offseason need. Cam Jordan’s uncertain future only sharpened that reality, but the Saints needed to strengthen that group either way. Wilson was one of two additions made to address the spot, and he’s the more intriguing one.
The Raiders took their shot on Wilson’s traits in 2023, but the production never followed the way they expected. New Orleans was able to land him for a late-round pick, and now Brandon Staley gets the chance to do what Las Vegas couldn’t. The encouraging part for the Saints is that Staley has already helped a top-10 pick find his footing again.
Wilson has a little Leonard Floyd to him, at least in the way this story is shaping up. Floyd was a top-10 pick too, and he also never fully lived up to the billing with the team that drafted him. Then he got to a second stop and took off, which is exactly the kind of turnaround New Orleans is chasing here.
Floyd had some early flashes with the Chicago Bears, including 7 sacks as a rookie, but the consistency never came over the next three seasons. Once Staley was the defensive coordinator for the Rams, everything changed.
Floyd posted 10.5 sacks in that defense, and that season altered the course of his career. He followed it with a run of at least 8.5 sacks for five straight seasons.
There are differences between the two players, and one of the biggest is the amount of time Staley had already spent around Floyd. Staley was Chicago’s outside linebackers coach, so there was familiarity there before the Rams run. Even so, the point remains: when Staley was in charge of the defense, Floyd found another level.
That’s the lane Wilson is walking into now. The Saints don’t need a miracle, just the kind of reset that can happen when a player lands in the right system with the right defensive mind.
In Other News...
Rams Backup Quarterback Debate Just Took A Serious Turn
The quarterback conversation in Los Angeles is already getting plenty of attention, and one former NFL scout has now pushed it in a direction that will interest Saints fans, too. Daniel Kelly recently made the case that Spencer Rattler should be viewed as a better backup option for Matthew Stafford than the Rams current depth behind him, pointing to Rattlers NFL experience and the way he has performed when given real work.
Rattlers case is built on more than just potential. He saw extended action for New Orleans last season, and Kelly highlighted efficiency markers that suggest he can handle the speed of the league, especially compared with Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett, who have yet to take an NFL snap. For now, it is still just an evaluation and not a confirmed move, but it is the kind of outside noise that can quickly turn into a real roster discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Thought This Quarterback Drama Was Finally Over
For a while, it looked like the Saints had finally moved past the quarterback chaos that defined last season. Derek Carr was supposed to be the answer before retirement changed the plan, and New Orleans pivoted to the 2025 draft, where Tyler Shough eventually emerged from a competition with Spencer Rattler and gave the offense a steadier look.
Even with Shough in place and the team trying to build some normalcy, the Carr storyline has not gone away. The speculation has lingered long enough to keep Saints fans on edge, and Carr has not exactly helped quiet it, leaving one more layer of uncertainty around a position the franchise thought it had already settled. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Already See TJ Halls Biggest Problem In New Orleans
TJ Hall arrived in New Orleans as a seventh-round corner with a reputation built more on toughness than flash, and that fits the kind of role the Saints seem ready to carve out for him. His best traits are on the physical side of the game, where his run support, tackling and reliability stand out, and those qualities should help him find a place on special teams while he learns the defense and settles into the secondary.
The challenge is that the path to real defensive snaps looks crowded early on, with established corners already in front of him on the depth chart. For now, Hall looks like the sort of developmental piece the Saints can keep around for depth and future upside, but the immediate question in New Orleans is how much room there really is for him to turn those traits into a larger role. [Read more 🡒]