Fadil Diggs looking to earn spot in Saints’ rotation

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

By Ross Jackson

Over the course of the offseason, the New Orleans Saints have added a pair of edge rushers while long-time defensive end Cameron Jordan has been testing the free agency market and weighing other options. With the team’s new additions, Tyree Wilson and Anfernee Jennings, the team should have an active competition for snaps behind starters Chase Young and Carl Granderson.

One player looking to take on the veterans this offseason is second-year edge rusher Fadil Diggs.

The 2025 seventh-round selection saw limited action during his rookie season. Due to a nagging calf injury, Young had to miss the first five games of the season. That opened up opportunities for early exposure for Diggs who saw action in the opening four games before heading to the team’s practice squad. He was again activated for Week 18, wherein he saw just two snaps in a game dominated by Young, Granderson and Jordan.

Going into his second season, Diggs will have a chance to display the growth that he’s experienced since arriving in New Orleans. He spent a lot of time working on the practice squad with defensive coordinator Brandon Staley and EDGEs coach Jay Rodgers.

New Orleans will still have Young and Granderson in 2026, but Wilson, Jennings, Diggs, Chris Rumph II and others will all contend for playing time after them.

Diggs was a productive collegiate edge rusher with 15.5 sacks and 32.5 tackles for a loss throughout his five years with Texas A&M and Syracuse. The 6-foot-4, 257-pound edge defender is a perfect prototype for the modern pass rusher build popularized around the league.

Now, he’ll just need to see where his development can take him in the pros. He has a shining opportunity ahead of him during Saints’ training camp, which will open in late-July, to prove that he can earn more snaps and chances to impact the game on the field.

Last year, he appeared in five games for a total of 54 defensive snaps and 41 on special teams. He did not register any counting stats in 2025.