Unsurprisingly, the cornerback room has been talked about a lot. When you lose the type of talent the Saints have over the last year, that's going to happen. Most recently, it was Paulson Adebo who left the franchise when free agency opened. The Saints have pieces to build around, namely 2024 second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry, but there's been a lot of chatter about adding another piece with Asante Samuel Jr.'s name popping up the most.

Pro Football Focus just recently released a list ranking all 32 defensive lines in the NFL and bringing up the rear were the New Orleans Saints ranked dead last at 32nd. The Saints leading sacker last year was Bryan Bresee with 7.5 from the defensive tackle position, and other than him, no one on the team got more than 6 sacks, as Chase Young and Carl Granderson both finished with 5.5. The Saints ranked 20th in the NFL in sacks with just 39, which was part of the reason the Saints defense ranked 30th in the NFL in 2024.

TJ Watt has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL since he entered the league in 2017, has been an All-Pro six times and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. He is currently holding out for a new contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and negotiations are not seeming to be progressing quickly. The Steelers may be inclined to trade their superstar OLB for the right price if they are unable to sign him, and I believe the Saints should seriously consider going after Watt before the season.