Nov 5, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent (17) is chased out of the pocket by New Orleans Saints defensive end Carl Granderson (96) during the first half at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
By Ross Jackson
Some argue that it’s the second-most important position in football. The edge rusher room is one the New Orleans Saints hope will be one of its most impactful in 2025.
Behind quarterback and sometimes blindside tackle, Edge is one of the game’s most important and game-changing positions. The Saints haven’t seen the production teams would like from the group for a couple of years.
Expectations for this group is about to see a major change.
Defensive end Cam Jordan highlighted this during his minicamp media availability last month.
“When you think about how much talent we have at the edge and now it’s a true edge,” he said. “Last 14 years or so you were saying, ‘Hey there’s defensive ends and then there’s edge rushers.’ And now we’re falling into that edge rusher category. So with that being said, we’ve got a lot more different aspects to bring to a defense.”
Now, Jordan and his room will be trying to take advantage of their new approach to get after, and make plays at, the quarterback. Each player has something to show or a question to answer throughout camp.
Cam Jordan – How does he fit in with the new scheme?
Some have wondered if this changing scheme will lead to Jordan moving to one of the hand-down interior roles in the team’s new-look 3-4 defense. But it sounds like his expectation is to still contribute as an edge rusher first and foremost.
A source with knowledge did confirm that Jordan is among the players working in EDGEs coach Jay Rodgers’s room.
However, it wouldn’t be surprising, with Jordan’s capabilities in the run game, to see him play a more versatile role both as a stand up rusher, an edge on even-front looks and potentially a 3-4 end.
Chase Young – Can he lead the way?
While Jordan is still the motivational leader and role model for his room, Young is expected to be the player tasked with leading the way when it comes to production. Young had a career-high 73 pressures last year, per Next Gen Stats. The total was good for No. 6 in the NFL.
This season, he’ll look to turn in a new career-high, but this time in sacks. His previous top marks were set his rookie season and replicated in 2023 with 7.5 sacks in both years. In 2025, after landing a strong deal with the team, double-digits should be in his sights.
That work starts in training camp where it can be seen if Young can continue his destructive trajectory from OTAs and minicamp.
Carl Granderson – Putting together consistency
Granderson doesn’t really have a question to answer as much as he has something to build toward from his own goals. Before last season, he spoke about a desire to be more consistent throughout the year. His 5.5 sack follow up was certainly not what he had in mind.
In defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s new system, Granderson should have more opportunities to cut it loose. Seeing how freely he takes advantage of that during training camp could be a strong indicator for the season that’s in store.
Isaiah Foskey – Is this the year?
Foskey’s first two years haven’t yielded what many expected. That’s likely true for his own expectations as well. Going from being a fearsome edge rusher that holds the all-time record for sacks in the Notre Dame record books to being trained as run stopper and eventually relegated to a special teams role can be a bit of a shock.
While many have already labeled the 2023 second-round pick as a bust, 2025 could be his chance to prove them wrong. The camp process will offer a first glance at Foskey back in a standup edge rusher role akin to what he played with the Fighting Irish.
Chris Rumph II, Fadil Diggs, Jasheen Davis – Who steps up? Who surprises?
The rest of the room doesn’t get a ton of attention. Two rookies and an underrated free agent acquisition, this trio will rely on camp to attract eyes, turn heads and earn roles. The Saints are going to need more than three or four edge rushers throughout the season. Even if Week One impact is going to be a challenge for these three, their production will eventually be necessary either on a rotational basis or to help counter injuries at the position.
