By Ross Jackson
It’s been a while since the New Orleans Saints have had a pass rusher finish a season with double-digit sacks. The last time was when defensive end Cameron Jordan notched 12.5 sacks during the 2021 season.
Since then, the team’s sack leaders have finished with 8.5 (Jordan), 8.5 (Carl Granderson), and 7.5 (Bryan Bresee) sacks, respectively.
This season, with a major shift incoming on the defensive side of the ball, defensive coordinator Brandon Staley could have a major impact on the team’s pass rusher prowess. Staley’s Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams defenses have produced consistent production when it comes to taking down opposing quarterbacks in the backfield.
2023 Chargers: Khalil Mack – 17 sacks
2022 Chargers: Khalil Mack – 8 sacks
2021 Chargers: Joey Bosa – 10.5 sacks
2020 Rams: Aaron Donald – 13.5 sacks, Leonard Floyd – 10.5 sacks
Each season under Staley, except for 2021, his defenses finished with at least 40 sacks. The Saints’ defense has not eclipsed 40 since 2022. The team will hope their fortune changes this season, but who will lead the team is sacks is a debatable topic.
The Favorites
Defensive End Chase Young
Young signed a three-year, $51 million extension this offseason that could be worth up to $57 million based on incentives. The investment made in him isn’t matched by any other investments around the position group.
This leaves the expectations clear that he is going to be the leader among the edge rusher group. That primes Young to be the top-dog in sack production. With a system that finally plays to his strengths, speed, athleticism, and space to work one-on-one, Young has a real shot at looking like the No. 2 pick he was meant to be.
Defensive End Carl Granderson
Granderson led the team in sacks just two years ago, but did so with a modest number of 8.5. Much like Young, he is now in a defensive scheme that should elevate his skill set quite a bit.
Granderson and Young will be the top two pass rushers for the team this year, or are at least expected to be. Young has a history of injury, a trend he bucked very effectively last season. But if the injury bug were to bite, Granderson would be charged with leading the production.
The best case scenario for New Orleans, much like the 2020 Rams, is that two pass rushers push one another much like Donald and Floyd did in Los Angeles, leading to each climbing into double-digit sack numbers.
The Sleeper
Defensive End Isaiah Foskey
Foskey may be in a career-trajectory saving situation in 2025 with Staley. In former coach Dennis Allen’s defense, Foskey wasn’t often enough deployed as a standup edge rusher, the role that led him to becoming Notre Dame’s all-time sack leader in college with 26.5 over three seasons. If Foskey can reclaim his collegiate success in New Orleans, he could shock a lot of onlookers.
The Longshots
Defensive End Cameron Jordan
It wouldn’t be right to leave Jordan out of this conversation, nor would it be right to claim him as one of the favorites. Jordan is a long-time successful pass rusher in the NFL. While talking about reclaiming or reestablishing production, Jordan deserves to be recognized. He’d have to turn back the hands of time in order to end up atop the sack totals, or injuries around him would have to leave him no choice, but Jordan is confident about the changes on defense and the success that could accompany them.
Defensive Tackle Bryan Bresee
Bresee is a fantastic interior pass rusher, one that led the team in sacks last season. If Staley’s scheme helps him get even better, it wouldn’t be unexpected to see him stay atop the list. A former defensive tackle, Aaron Donald, led Staley’s defense in 2020. While no one is going to expect Bresee to turn into Donald, it should be said that Staley has found success with athletic defensive tackles before.
