The interior of the defensive line was one of the New Orleans Saints biggest needs heading into the offseason, but some free agent additions have made it less so.

The Saints were facing the likely possibility of being without its top two interior defenders for the start of the 2019 season. Sheldon Rankins will almost certainly need to miss some time after tearing his Achilles tendon in the playoff win against Philadelphia, and David Onyemata may face a suspension after an offseason arrest.



They appeared to plug that gap by signing free agents Malcom Brown and Mario Edwards, who along with second-year player Taylor Stallworth should be able to hold things down until Rankins and Onyemata return.

Still, this is a deep draft in terms of interior defensive linemen, and the Saints may not be done adding to the depth at the position — especially considering the uncertainty surrounding Rankins after his breakout 2018 season.

With two weeks remaining before the draft, we’re analyzing the Saints’ needs at each position. The 11-part series concludes with this report.



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