Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
After ten games, an unexpected name sits atop the New Orleans Saints’ offensive Pro Football Focus grades through ten games. As the team returns to the first in Week 12 after their bye week, a look at the top grades on each side of the ball reveals some promise for young pieces and a big win from the offseason trade market.
Here are the highest-graded players on offense and defense that have taken at least 120 snaps (an approximation of two games).
Offense’s Top Five
- C Luke Fortner – 76.7
- QB Tyler Shough – 74.4
- WR Chris Olave – 71.7
- QB Spencer Rattler – 70.1
- LT Kelvin Banks Jr. – 68.3
Overall, the offensive grades are a bit low. But that’s not very surprising considering the inconsistency of the offense, something the team hopes to adjust coming out of the bye week. But atop the list is Fortner, the center acquired via preseason trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has led the way for the team since losing starting center Erik McCoy for the season with a pectoral injury. Fortner has been an important factor in helping the Saints offensive line stay afloat without its interior cornerstone.
Both quarterbacks Shough and Rattler make the list. Rattler started the season strong, but was later swapped out for Shough, who just put together an outstanding performance in the team’s Week 10 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Olave, now the core focal point at wide receiver, also impressed in Carolina. Despite some early drops, he’s been on pace to set a new career-high in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, has shown commitment to wanting to remain in New Orleans long-term and has developed a good connection with Shough early.
Meanwhile, Banks has been a revelation for the Saints at left tackle, despite some errant criticism nationally. Banks has improved and shown a lot of promise, particularly in his most recent games as the Saints hope for him to become their long-time starter at one of the most important positions in football.
Defense’s Top Five
- LB Demario Davis – 83.5
- DE Chase Young – 80.2
- DE Chris Rumph – 70.0
- DE Cameron Jordan – 65.8
- S Jonas Sanker – 65.4
While this side of the ball is dominated by veterans, the appearance of Sanker is a good sign for the continued impression left by the 2025 draft class. Along with Banks, Sanker was the team’s earliest starter, stepping into the role in Week 2 after safety Julian Blackmon’s season-ending injury in the season opener. Sanker has been impactful, despite being an earlier-than-expected starter as a rookie.
All three edge rushers have been productive for New Orleans in either the pass rush game (Young), both (Jordan) or the run game (Rumph), while also finding success across the playing elements. Young’s performance, in particular, has been a catalyst for optimism as a building block piece for the team’s future.
There should be no surprise that Davis leads the list. His play has been absolutely outstanding. At 36-years-old, Davis currently ranks No. 7 in the league with 91 combined tackles. His buy-in has also been tone-setting for the roster around him, which is now increasingly younger than it started in the 2025 season. Not only is Davis having an impact on the field, he’s been an outstanding leader, which isn’t factored into these grades.
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