William Purnell-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
While a lot of the rookie class attention for the New Orleans Saints is understandably aimed at second-round quarterback Tyler Shough, there are other players that promise to make a big potential impact during their first contracts.
One of the most highly-anticipated is fourth-round linebacker Danny Stutsman. Much like first-round pick and presumed starting left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., Stutsman has a clear path to his rookie year role, one that is sure to grow throughout his time in New Orleans.
Who Is Danny Stutsman?
The hyper-athletic 6-foot-3, 233 pound linebacker comes to the Saints from the Oklahoma Sooners. The Oklahoma defense last year allowed just 3.14 yards per carry, No. 12 in the FBS. Stutsman was the leader of that defensive unit both on and off the field. He led the Big 12 in tackles in 2022, ranked No. 6 in 2023 and finished No. 6 again in 2024, but this time in the SEC.
He’s a heat-seeking missile on the field with good fundamentals, good movement ability and sure tackling prowess. He’s got a lot of what the Saints are looking to add, physicality-wise, on the field.
Stutsman Is A Leader
Beyond leading conferences in tackle, Stutsman is a leader off the field, as well. From his joyous personality to insightful postgame pressers, the linebacker has a knack for communication and leadership.
He’s also quite the gift-giver, sharing $50,000 of his NIL money with 18 different Oklahoma walk-ons for their hard work in 2024.
Our guy @FbStutsman continues to be a leader on and off the field and has generously donated a large portion of his NIL earnings back to the walk-ons who have been loyal to our program and Team 130 🙌
Subscribe to @join1oklahoma to help support more moments like this and the… pic.twitter.com/6QOkwGCC18
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 28, 2024
Sure, his Instagram captions and presence is fun and entertaining. But he has a knack for leadership, which is something the Saints may desperately need in the middle of their defense in the coming years.
A Sure Tackler
In 2024, Stutsman missed just 9.6% of his tackles in the run game, per Pro Football Focus. For a player that totaled 110 tackles last year and a team-leading 61 in the run game specifically, that’s a solid percentage.
For comparison, Saints linebacker Demario Davis finished 2024 with a 12.8% tackles missed and Pete Werner had 12.6%, both on run defense snaps only.
While the numbers Davis and Werner put up were very good, especially considering the NFL level, Stutsman is entering the league as an impressive addition to the duo.
Taking a deeper look at the run defense snaps, Stutsman’s 2024 average depth of tackle (how far a ball carrier gets upfield on average before a defender makes the stop) was an outstanding 2.2 yards, per Pro Football Focus. Compare that to Davis (3.4) and Werner (3.7), and all three linebackers could walk into 2025 with better average depth of tackle marks than some of the Saints’ returning interior defensive linemen.
What Role Will He Earn?
During training camp, expect Stutsman’s No. 47 jersey to be hard to miss. The way he flies around the field and crashes down hill in a hurry are eye-catching elements of his play. But the role that he may have his rookie season could be minimal. With Davis and Werner established at the top of the linebacker room, the rookie may end up seeing some three-linebacker snaps when they are afforded, which will come at a premium, and of course as a depth and special teams player.
The challenge will be keeping him off of the field once he finally sees the opportunity. His trajectory may not be meteoric, though an impressive training camp could change that, but once the wheels start turning for the young backer, it’s going to be hard to stop his momentum. Expect Stutsman to be one of the more impactful players from the 2025 draft class at some point during his rookie deal.
