Could the Saints D-line actually be...Good?

iceshack149 · 08-10-2025, 10:07 AM

If I were to guess, the Saints starting D-line would be Young, Godchaux, and Boughton or maybe Bresee. Of course, that will change throughout the season and throughout games. We'll likely see Granderson, and Jordan cheat up from an OLB position in games and I'm also reading that Rumph is looking good in practices this year.
Then there's this:
Saints’ Rookie Edge-Rushing Duo Could Play a Big Role in Year One
By Mike Maynard

Fadil Diggs and Jasheen Davis were drafted in the seventh round and signed as an undrafted free agent, respectively, quickly exceeding expectations to begin their young careers with the Saints.

Through his first NFL training camp, Diggs has continued to have success getting to the passer, turning heads with impressive performances. Speed around the edge has been the rookie’s most consistent trait, a skill that the Saints lack through the rest of the depth chart.
With the Demon Deacons, Davis consistently took opposing quarterbacks to the ground, finishing with 25.5 total sacks, good enough for third in program history, as well as finishing second in career tackles-for-loss with 51.

The transition to NFL competition has been a seamless one for Davis thus far, making his presence known in practices with multiple sacks in 11v11s. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 270 pounds, Davis has shown the skillset and versatility to be a contributor even as a rookie.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/58/79...77ddcc28c0.gif
Today's game should give us a glimpse of what's to come for this team and I hope it's encouraging.

BakoSaint · 08-10-2025, 10:36 AM

A lot of dline/edge players will not be able to make the team. If a 7th rounder and an undrafted free agent make the team, it will be a bloodbath for the others. Realistically I think Granderson, Young, Broughton (because of where he was drafted), and probably Godchaux (because they traded for him and guaranteed him $6 million) are the only locks to make the team. If players like Diggs and Davis are impressing, there has to be some discussion of cutting or perhaps trading (if there is any market) players like Saunders, Shepherd, Boyd, Ridgeway, Foskey, and even Jordan and Bresee.

It is also ridiculous that Granderson and Young, probably the two best players on the Saints defense at this point and the two defensive players on the roster under 30 with the highest cap numbers (Jordan and Davis have higher cap numbers but only due to past accomplishments) are listed as sharing one spot on the depth chart. Unless the Saints are trying to tank, they cannot keep either one of those players off the field in favor of the Cam Jordan farewell tour.

Last season the Saints kept 10 Dline/Edge players. If we assume they keep the players they have listed as their First team (Granderson, Young, Godchaux, Bresee, Jordan), Second team (Foskey, Saunders, Shepherd, Rumph), and Broughton (because teams rarely cut an early 3rd round pick they just drafted), then the following players are all cut: Diggs, Boyd, Ridgeway, Davis, Bullard, Williams, Thomas.

To be fair it is important to point out that guys like Bullard, Ridgeway, and Boyd all have better PFF scores than Bresee by far. If the decision was made based on advanced stats, Bresee would not make the team. I don't like Bresee. I get that he has some sacks on paper but I think most of them are cheap clean up sacks where Granderson and Young collapse the pocket and the QB runs into Bresee who is an unimposing soft tackler with long arms who will 50/50 get the sack or allow a long QB rush.

As to whether the Saints Dline could be good, the only player who is not returning as of now is Payton Turner. The Saints have added Godchaux, Broughton, and some later draft picks and cheap free agents. Cam Jordan is a year older and definitely may fade more. There hasn't been a high profile addition, more of just more competition. So for the line to be better, we would need to see players with upside win roster spots and playing time and then realize that upside. I don't think Jordan, Shepherd, Saunders, or Godchaux really have much upside. I guess that Granderson or Young, already the best players, could get better. I am skeptical of Bresee and Foskey. Broughton being listed as 5th team does not indicate he is ready to make a big impact. For anyone else to make an impact, they need to make the team, which its not clear they will. So I think the best case for a better Dline is to see Granderson and/or Young take the next step, while Godchaux reliably covers for a liability, or Bresee stops being the biggest liability in the league against the run.

SmashMouth · 08-10-2025, 01:53 PM

With the switch to the ThreeFour, the edge players DE/DL will be the ones to make the team, the tweeners maybe? I think we're set at LBer with the infusion of young talent. So whoever CKM thinks will be the key players on the DL Edge are those making the team. Guess we'll see that play out in the next couple of games.

iceshack149 · 08-11-2025, 12:15 PM

The Saints player of the game is obvious after the preseason opener
By Darrion Gray.

Fadil Diggs is the Player of the Game
My player of the game is Fadil Diggs. In a draft class with a multitude of attention-grabbing players, Diggs was the Saints final pick and has faded to the background. On Sunday, Diggs made a push for a spot in the edge rusher room behind veterans like Chase Young, Carl Granderson and Cameron Jordan. Diggs was constantly in the backfield and impossible to miss on the field. The fourth edge rusher spot is up for grabs and Diggs’ fingertips are getting closer

https://whodatdish.com/the-saints-pl...utm_source=RSS
I really hope that this guy pushes Foskey out and becomes what we were hoping Foskey would become.

SmashMouth · 08-11-2025, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by iceshack149

The Saints player of the game is obvious after the preseason opener
By Darrion Gray.

https://whodatdish.com/the-saints-pl...utm_source=RSS
I really hope that this guy pushes Foskey out and becomes what we were hoping Foskey would become.

Does that mean ND talent is overrated these days? Besides Joe Montana, there aren't too many players who became effective NFL pros, compared to the big boy SEC, and now Big 10, league.

Broughton, a UT grad, showed up yesterday too.

K Major · 08-11-2025, 01:33 PM

Isaiah Foskey has been surprisingly bad.

Always standing around, slow motor & inability to make a play. The coaching staff let him play virtually the entire game & not one stat

. Meanwhile 7th rounder Fadil Diggs had 2 tackles for losses and a sack.

To be drafted that high in the second rd & show close to nothing is a huge L for the Saints scouting team.

jnormand · 08-11-2025, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by K Major

Isaiah Foskey has been surprisingly bad.

Always standing around, slow motor & inability to make a play. The coaching staff let him play virtually the entire game & not one stat . Meanwhile 7th rounder Fadil Diggs had 2 tackles for losses and a sack.

To be drafted that high in the second rd & show close to nothing is a huge L for the Saints scouting team.

I just don’t see him making the 53 man roster. There’s just no way.

SmashMouth · 08-11-2025, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by K Major

Isaiah Foskey has been surprisingly bad.

Always standing around, slow motor & inability to make a play. The coaching staff let him play virtually the entire game & not one stat . Meanwhile 7th rounder Fadil Diggs had 2 tackles for losses and a sack.

To be drafted that high in the second rd & show close to nothing is a huge L for the Saints scouting team.

Originally Posted by jnormand

I just don’t see him making the 53 man roster. There’s just no way.

We may indeed be witnessing the final plays of WTFoskey in a Saints uni. It probably would save us some cap space versus what Diggs as a 7th rounder would cost us.

neugey · 08-11-2025, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by jnormand

I just don’t see him making the 53 man roster. There’s just no way.

Mickey doesn't have a great track record with this. Remember how long we let TreQuan hang around after the writing was on the wall and he wasn't going to do much.

AsylumGuido · 08-11-2025, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by neugey

Mickey doesn't have a great track record with this. Remember how long we let TreQuan hang around after the writing was on the wall and he wasn't going to do much.

To be fair he was a better down field blocker than any TE we had on the roster. Or especially any WR. He had a role.

08-10-2025, 10:07 AM	#1
iceshack149 1000 Posts + Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fairbanks, AK Posts: 4,465 Blog Entries: 1	Could the Saints D-line actually be...Good? If I were to guess, the Saints starting D-line would be Young, Godchaux, and Boughton or maybe Bresee. Of course, that will change throughout the season and throughout games. We'll likely see Granderson, and Jordan cheat up from an OLB position in games and I'm also reading that Rumph is looking good in practices this year. Then there's this: Saints’ Rookie Edge-Rushing Duo Could Play a Big Role in Year One By Mike Maynard Fadil Diggs and Jasheen Davis were drafted in the seventh round and signed as an undrafted free agent, respectively, quickly exceeding expectations to begin their young careers with the Saints. Through his first NFL training camp, Diggs has continued to have success getting to the passer, turning heads with impressive performances. Speed around the edge has been the rookie’s most consistent trait, a skill that the Saints lack through the rest of the depth chart. With the Demon Deacons, Davis consistently took opposing quarterbacks to the ground, finishing with 25.5 total sacks, good enough for third in program history, as well as finishing second in career tackles-for-loss with 51. The transition to NFL competition has been a seamless one for Davis thus far, making his presence known in practices with multiple sacks in 11v11s. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 270 pounds, Davis has shown the skillset and versatility to be a contributor even as a rookie. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/58/79...77ddcc28c0.gif Today's game should give us a glimpse of what's to come for this team and I hope it's encouraging. AsylumGuido likes this.
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08-10-2025, 10:36 AM	#2
BakoSaint 1000 Posts + Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 2,446	Re: Could the Saints D-line actually be...Good? A lot of dline/edge players will not be able to make the team. If a 7th rounder and an undrafted free agent make the team, it will be a bloodbath for the others. Realistically I think Granderson, Young, Broughton (because of where he was drafted), and probably Godchaux (because they traded for him and guaranteed him $6 million) are the only locks to make the team. If players like Diggs and Davis are impressing, there has to be some discussion of cutting or perhaps trading (if there is any market) players like Saunders, Shepherd, Boyd, Ridgeway, Foskey, and even Jordan and Bresee. It is also ridiculous that Granderson and Young, probably the two best players on the Saints defense at this point and the two defensive players on the roster under 30 with the highest cap numbers (Jordan and Davis have higher cap numbers but only due to past accomplishments) are listed as sharing one spot on the depth chart. Unless the Saints are trying to tank, they cannot keep either one of those players off the field in favor of the Cam Jordan farewell tour. Last season the Saints kept 10 Dline/Edge players. If we assume they keep the players they have listed as their First team (Granderson, Young, Godchaux, Bresee, Jordan), Second team (Foskey, Saunders, Shepherd, Rumph), and Broughton (because teams rarely cut an early 3rd round pick they just drafted), then the following players are all cut: Diggs, Boyd, Ridgeway, Davis, Bullard, Williams, Thomas. To be fair it is important to point out that guys like Bullard, Ridgeway, and Boyd all have better PFF scores than Bresee by far. If the decision was made based on advanced stats, Bresee would not make the team. I don't like Bresee. I get that he has some sacks on paper but I think most of them are cheap clean up sacks where Granderson and Young collapse the pocket and the QB runs into Bresee who is an unimposing soft tackler with long arms who will 50/50 get the sack or allow a long QB rush. As to whether the Saints Dline could be good, the only player who is not returning as of now is Payton Turner. The Saints have added Godchaux, Broughton, and some later draft picks and cheap free agents. Cam Jordan is a year older and definitely may fade more. There hasn't been a high profile addition, more of just more competition. So for the line to be better, we would need to see players with upside win roster spots and playing time and then realize that upside. I don't think Jordan, Shepherd, Saunders, or Godchaux really have much upside. I guess that Granderson or Young, already the best players, could get better. I am skeptical of Bresee and Foskey. Broughton being listed as 5th team does not indicate he is ready to make a big impact. For anyone else to make an impact, they need to make the team, which its not clear they will. So I think the best case for a better Dline is to see Granderson and/or Young take the next step, while Godchaux reliably covers for a liability, or Bresee stops being the biggest liability in the league against the run. Danno likes this.
BakoSaint 1000 Posts + Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 2,446	Last edited by BakoSaint; 08-10-2025 at 10:53 AM..

08-10-2025, 01:53 PM	#3
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 39,193 Blog Entries: 29	Re: Could the Saints D-line actually be...Good? With the switch to the ThreeFour, the edge players DE/DL will be the ones to make the team, the tweeners maybe? I think we're set at LBer with the infusion of young talent. So whoever CKM thinks will be the key players on the DL Edge are those making the team. Guess we'll see that play out in the next couple of games.

08-11-2025, 12:15 PM	#4
iceshack149 1000 Posts + Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fairbanks, AK Posts: 4,465 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Could the Saints D-line actually be...Good? The Saints player of the game is obvious after the preseason opener By Darrion Gray. Fadil Diggs is the Player of the Game My player of the game is Fadil Diggs. In a draft class with a multitude of attention-grabbing players, Diggs was the Saints final pick and has faded to the background. On Sunday, Diggs made a push for a spot in the edge rusher room behind veterans like Chase Young, Carl Granderson and Cameron Jordan. Diggs was constantly in the backfield and impossible to miss on the field. The fourth edge rusher spot is up for grabs and Diggs’ fingertips are getting closer https://whodatdish.com/the-saints-pl...utm_source=RSS I really hope that this guy pushes Foskey out and becomes what we were hoping Foskey would become. SmashMouth and K Major like this.

08-11-2025, 12:49 PM	#5
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 39,193 Blog Entries: 29	Re: Could the Saints D-line actually be...Good? Originally Posted by iceshack149 The Saints player of the game is obvious after the preseason opener By Darrion Gray. https://whodatdish.com/the-saints-pl...utm_source=RSS I really hope that this guy pushes Foskey out and becomes what we were hoping Foskey would become. Does that mean ND talent is overrated these days? Besides Joe Montana, there aren't too many players who became effective NFL pros, compared to the big boy SEC, and now Big 10, league. Broughton, a UT grad, showed up yesterday too. iceshack149 likes this.

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08-11-2025, 01:33 PM	#6
K Major Site Donor 2019 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedford, TX Posts: 24,879 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Could the Saints D-line actually be...Good? Isaiah Foskey has been surprisingly bad. Always standing around, slow motor & inability to make a play. The coaching staff let him play virtually the entire game & not one stat . Meanwhile 7th rounder Fadil Diggs had 2 tackles for losses and a sack. To be drafted that high in the second rd & show close to nothing is a huge L for the Saints scouting team. iceshack149, jnormand, Danno and 1 others like this.

08-11-2025, 05:23 PM	#7
jnormand 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: The Free State of Idaho Posts: 5,795	Re: Could the Saints D-line actually be...Good? Originally Posted by K Major Isaiah Foskey has been surprisingly bad. Always standing around, slow motor & inability to make a play. The coaching staff let him play virtually the entire game & not one stat . Meanwhile 7th rounder Fadil Diggs had 2 tackles for losses and a sack. To be drafted that high in the second rd & show close to nothing is a huge L for the Saints scouting team. I just don’t see him making the 53 man roster. There’s just no way. SmashMouth likes this.

08-11-2025, 06:08 PM	#8
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 39,193 Blog Entries: 29	Re: Could the Saints D-line actually be...Good? Originally Posted by K Major Isaiah Foskey has been surprisingly bad. Always standing around, slow motor & inability to make a play. The coaching staff let him play virtually the entire game & not one stat . Meanwhile 7th rounder Fadil Diggs had 2 tackles for losses and a sack. To be drafted that high in the second rd & show close to nothing is a huge L for the Saints scouting team. Originally Posted by jnormand I just don’t see him making the 53 man roster. There’s just no way. We may indeed be witnessing the final plays of WTFoskey in a Saints uni. It probably would save us some cap space versus what Diggs as a 7th rounder would cost us.

08-11-2025, 06:10 PM	#9
neugey Hu Dat! Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 6,880 Blog Entries: 13	Re: Could the Saints D-line actually be...Good? Originally Posted by jnormand I just don’t see him making the 53 man roster. There’s just no way. Mickey doesn't have a great track record with this. Remember how long we let TreQuan hang around after the writing was on the wall and he wasn't going to do much.

08-11-2025, 09:12 PM	#10
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,871	Re: Could the Saints D-line actually be...Good? Originally Posted by neugey Mickey doesn't have a great track record with this. Remember how long we let TreQuan hang around after the writing was on the wall and he wasn't going to do much. To be fair he was a better down field blocker than any TE we had on the roster. Or especially any WR. He had a role.