ESPN completely misses the mark with recent backhanded compliment for the Saints' 2025 roster

The New Orleans Saints don't have particularly high expectations for this season. The NFL has plenty of tough competition, and the uncertainty around the black and gold does not have folks predicting too many wins will come for the Saints. ESPN has followed suit recently with the doubt for New Orleans. 

ESPN gives credit to the wrong part of Saints roster

In a recent rankings piece from ESPN, the worldwide leader ranked every starting lineup around the NFL and pinpointed weaknesses and strengths for each squad, along with some other factors for the season.

That's the question we're tackling, as we asked NFL analysts Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder to rank every lineup in the league. We combined their rankings to form the ultimate preseason roster ranking, considering factors such as talent, age and production. We didn't stop there. Along with projecting every starting lineup, Clay detailed the strongest and weakest position groups for each team, Walder identified X factors and Schatz picked nonstarters who could have an outsized role this season. -- ESPN

I don't think ESPN quite got the strength for the Saints correct. Mike Clay chose edge rusher as the positional victor for the roster, and while it does have upside, the production from that spot a season ago doesn't give me as much confidence as some other spots for New Orleans.

Biggest strength: Edge rusher. Carl Granderson has emerged as one of the league's most underrated pass rushers. His 139 tackles over the past two seasons are the third most at the position, and he has had 14 sacks, too. Chase Young ranked 16th in the league with 21 QB hits last season. Cameron Jordan, 36, played a smaller role last season, but he still leads the NFL with 120.5 sacks since 2012. Isaiah Foskey (2023 second-rounder) adds depth. -- Clay, ESPN

The pass rush for New Orleans last season was not good. They were one of the worst teams in the NFC when it came to finishing plays in the backfield, and their rushing defense took a step back once again, too. The work off the edge played a hand in that. 

While I do expect better productivity off the edge for the Saints, I can't give them the nod over the running back room, linebacker group, or maybe even the offensive line for the Saints heading into 2025. 

New Orleans' starting lineup isn't the worst in football

This ranking doesn't actually make a ton of sense, either. At the quarterback position, yes, it is fair to rank New Orleans as league-worst. We have no idea what they have in rookie Tyler Shough, and Spencer Rattler didn't instill much confidence last season. That being said, the offensive line is a unit that can be in  the top half of the NFL when healthy. 

At pass catcher, Chris Olave is one of the most talented young wideouts as long as he stays healthy. That is a big "if" when you consider his concussion history. Rashid Shaheed has impressed so far in training camp and was a key downfield threat last season for New Orleans' offense. The running back figures to be a strong one compared to many of their NFC counterparts - with Alvin Kamara at the helm.

On defense, they have a proven linebacker core with Demario Davis and Pete Werner at the helm. While the DL had struggles last year, they did add Davon Godchaux as a run stuffer inside, Bryan Bresee has another year of development under his belt. The edge rusher group won't "wow" many people, but Chase Young had one of his best seasons of his career in 2024, and Carl Granderson is a good player. 

The secondary has more questions. Alontae Taylor is back in the slot - where he excels, but outside cornerback is a concern. They've got confidence in Kool-Aid McKinstry, but he's a second-year DB without a ton of starting experience overall. Rookie Quincy Riley and Isaac Yiadom are expected to compete for the other starting role there. 

At safety, Julian Blackmon is a nice addition in free agency - if he stays healthy. Justin Reid is a solid veteran option. Interested to see if rookie safety Jonas Sanker plays a role this season, too. 

Overall, I don't see the Saints roster in the top half of the league when you look at a starting lineup. That being said, I would contend it is clearly better than teams like the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and Carolina Panthers, among potentially a few others.