DE Joyner could be late round gem for Saints

By Ross Jackson

Drafting developmental edge rushers has gotten the New Orleans Saints into some trouble in the past. But in each of those occasions, the selections were made in the first round. Former defensive end Marcus Davenport cost the team multiple first-round picks and 2021 first-rounder Payton Turner just never panned out due to injuries and role. 

It would make sense for the Saints to avoid the project edge rusher early, but there are some players in need of polish that could be well worth the investment later in the draft.

Minnesota edge defender Jah Joyner is one of those prospects. He’s not a finished product coming out of college and is likely to be a day three selection. But his tools, length and physical traits make him more than worthy a bet for the Saints in his area of the draft.

Get to know Minnesota pass rusher Jah Joyner (6042v, 256v). Plays with high effort, good linear explosiveness and outstanding length. Name to know, who could go very early in the 2025 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/IjU0SHKBeM

— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) July 23, 2024

Joyner’s fit with the Saints

At 6-foot-4 and 262 pounds, Joyner would be an intriguing investment as a hand-in-the-ground pass rusher in development. Yes, the Saints will deploy more three-man fronts in 2025, but that doesn’t make the traditional big-framed, three-point stance edge rusher obsolete.

Joyner’s motor allows him to outlast opposing blockers, which could be a necessary trait for a 3-4 defensive end looking to make an impact in the run game. But even when the Saints do deploy their even-man fronts, Joyner played that role for the Golden Gophers well. 

Joyner’s 2024 Stats and Metrics

• 32 combined tackles
• 6 tackles for a loss
• 4.5 sacks
• 7 passes defended
• 2 forced fumbles
• 13.2% pass rush win rate
• 31 total pressures

What makes Joyner a good prospect

Along with his motor, Joyner’s length allows him to win his battles with offensive lineman. His 34-inch arms rank in the 70th percentile among NFL defensive ends and his 82.5-inch wingspan bumps him up to the 82nd percentile. He has true NFL reach and size to pair with his 4.6-second speed in the 40-yard-dash (88th percentile).

He’s an active hands fighter with great bend when getting around the edge. He missed just three tackles last season with only 12 over the course of his four-year career.

Joyner also has some fantastic athleticism that really shines in in-game situations.

Minnesota’s Jah Joyner finished among the top-2 edge rushers in top speed in nearly every on-field drill.

His speeds on the forty (22.58 mph), Pass Rush Drill (18.11) & Wave Drill (17.95) were all position bests.

📊: Combine IQ powered by @awscloud
💻: https://t.co/6PLmvidvRf pic.twitter.com/Nu8LZ967WO

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) February 28, 2025

While his 6.88 RAS may come off as a bit underwhelming, the difference between what shows in his workout testing compared to his on-field drills and tape is glaringly obvious. Joyner is a player that shines on a football field in real football situations in a way that doesn’t necessarily get reflected in Combine workouts. That’s something that NFL teams will have recognized as a promising building block after Combine testing sent scouts back to his tape.

2025 Athletics Testing Results

• 40-yard-dash: 4.6 seconds
• Vertical: 30 inches
• Shuttled: 4.68 seconds
• 3-Cone: 7.33 seconds
• RAS: 6.88

2025 NFL Draft Projection

Joyner is often listed with a sixth-round projection. That puts him in firm positioning for the Saints’ No. 184 overall selection if they decide to pursue him. This NFL Draft class of edge defenders has a lot of talent and runs fairly deep into the draft. So if New Orleans pulls the trigger early on a pass rusher, that might put Joyner out of contention. However, the Saints could also take a speedier standup pass rusher early and then circle back to Joyner as a potential developmental future building block. 

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