2021 marked the end of an era in New Orleans. Sean Payton announced his retirement in January after 16 fruitful years with the team. In that time they won the fourth most games of any team and claimed seven NFC South titles and a Super Bowl trophy. 2022 marks the beginning of the Dennis Allen era, who spent six years as the team’s defensive coordinator. Despite the changes in the front office, this still feels like a team ready to compete in 2022.
Offseason additions and losses
As always seems to be the case, the Saints found themselves in a tough salary cap position to start the offseason. They still got things done though. Bringing Jameis Winston back on a two-year $28 million deal is excellent business in the current quarterback market. They also landed a bargain with Jarvis Landry at just $3 million to be their WR3. Whilst they let star free safety Marcus Williams walk for $14 million a year in Baltimore, they managed to land both Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye as his replacements for a combined $16.5 million per year.
Their big loss on offense was of course Terron Armstead. He had been a key part of this unit for the past nine years, holding down the left tackle spot admirably. Whilst injury issues have seen him miss plenty of time, he is one of the game’s best when on the field and his departure will be keenly felt. The team also saw veteran safety Malcolm Jenkins retire and they cut linebacker Kwon Alexander to save some much-needed cap space.
2022 NFL Draft
| Pick | Player |
| 1.11 | Chris Olave – WR, Ohio State |
| 1.19 | Trevor Penning – OT, Northern Iowa |
| 2.49 | Alontae Taylor – CB, Tennessee |
| 5.161 | D’Marco Jackson – LB, Appalachian State |
| 6.194 | Jordan Jackson – IDL, Air Force |
The Saints were working with limited draft capital this year and with just five players they tied the Eagles for the smallest draft class. In Olave they landed a pro-ready receiver who will be an impact starter from day one, though their decision to part with three picks to trade up for him felt excessive. Trevor Penning was a divisive tackle prospect but he has all of the tools you could want at the position. The selection of Alontae Taylor in the second round felt rich, though their hands were tied by their lack of later round capital.
Offense
No team in the NFL has improved its receiving corps in one offseason as much as the Saints. Their top three wide receivers last year were Marquez Callaway, Deonte Harty and Tre’Quan Smith. None of them exceeded 50 catches or 700 yards. This season they have Michael Thomas back after injuries limited him to just seven games in the last two seasons. Chris Olave gives them the explosive deep threat that the team lacked last season, whilst Landry can be a reliable underneath weapon.
Alvin Kamara is also an asset as a pass catcher, in addition to his talent as a runner. He struggled at times in 2021 as defenses were able to sell out against the run, knowing the Saints wouldn’t pass it. Kamara faced eight man boxes at the seventh highest rate in the NFL last season. With an expanded receiving corps this should change in 2022 and work in his favour. There’s hope at quarterback too. Jameis Winston ranked third in EPA per play before tearing his ACL in Week 8.
There are still some concerns with this unit though. Outside of right tackle and center the offensive line is questionable. Trevor Penning will miss time with injury, meaning James Hurst will start at left tackle. The left guard and center pairing of Andrus Peat and Cesar Ruiz isn’t great, with both having consistently been liabilities in pass protection. Whilst they still have long-time offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, the departure of head coach and offensive guru Sean Payton is also bound to impact this team. Payton was widely regarded as the architect of the team’s success and will be difficult, if not impossible, to replace.
Defense
The offense might have been a problem for the Saints last season, but the defense certainly wasn’t. They had one of the very best units in the league, ranking third in overall DVOA and allowing the lowest drive success rate. Their front four is where the magic happens. Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport are a powerful edge duo who both boast consistent production as pass rushers and run defenders. With David Onyemata on the interior they have the firepower to dismantle opposing lines with ease.
The team saw free safety Marcus Williams depart in free agency, choosing to replace him with Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye. This suggests a shift in coverage style in 2022. The Saints’ defense was built around Williams’ range last season, playing single-high coverages almost 60% of the time. Neither of his replacements are traditional free safeties, meaning the team likely moves towards more quarters coverages, something Dennis Allen has always liked to incorporate. With Demario Davis and Pete Werner they have the talent underneath to run those kind of coverages that ask linebackers to play in plenty of space.
They are also well set at cornerback. In Marshon Lattimore they have a true CB1 with ball-hawking talent. Lattimore led the NFL with an incredible 21 forced incompletions last season. Opposite him they have Paulson Adebo, who showed plenty of promise in his rookie season, allowing a passer rating of just 68.5 through his last six games. To top things off they have one of the game’s best slot cornerbacks in Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Gardner-Johnson has allowed the fourth lowest passer rating from the slot since 2019.
Prediction
The Saints managed to finish 9-8 last year despite fielding one of the worst offensive rosters in the NFL. Whilst Sean Payton’s departure will no doubt hurt, they have added plenty of talent over the offseason to an already good team. They have put themselves in a great position for 2022 and should compete with the Buccaneers for the NFC South title.
