By Ross Jackson
METAIRIE, La. – After focusing early on the offensive side of the ball with offensive line and quarterback, the New Orleans Saints have turned their focus on the defensive line.
With the No. 71 overall selection of the draft, the Saints selected Texas defensive tackle Vernon Broughton.
With the 71st pick in the Draft, the #Saints select:
Texas DT Vernon Broughton 💪#SaintsDraft | @CoxComm pic.twitter.com/TnDvfmdxfb
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 26, 2025
Broughton, 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, totaled 11 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks throughout his career as a defensive tackle with the Longhorns. He was mostly a rotational piece on the line, much like the role he is likely to serve in New Orleans, who will be using a rotation and multiple fronts.
In Broughton’s one year as a starter, he made 15 of 16 starts, missing the lone one only because of a targeting penalty in the previous game.
Broughton is a violent player that can be a little overaggressive at times, leading to missed tackles. But he now reunites with his former defensive line coach Bo Davis in New Orleans. He will also see another familiar face with defensive passing game coordinator Terry Joseph.
Broughton joins a crowded defensive tackle room, but gets the stamp of approval from new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.
In a pre-draft interview, Staley highlighted the importance of stopping the run and winning games at the line of scrimmage. The ascending Broughton could turn into an important piece in being successful at exactly that.
