Which member of the New Orleans Saints is likely to be a household name this time next year?
Pete Werner
Pete Werner has come into his own as a solid starter at linebacker next to Demario Davis the last few years. In just 13 games last year he amassed 92 total tackles, which ranked second on the team, almost equaling his output of 93 in 16 games in 2023. Werner lacked the splash plays of an interception to sacks last year, but if he is able to keep up his high volume of tackles while staying healthy and pitching in a few interceptions or sacks, Werner could be looking at a career year and may even come close to or pass Davis’s tackle output in 2025.
Devin Neal
The New Orleans Saints rookie with the best chance to have a breakout year I believe is running back Devin Neal. Neal plays a position that often gets a lot of attention from rookies due to the discourse around where to draft a running back that occurs each year. Rookie QB Tyler Shough will be locked in a battle for the starting job, and may not even see the field much this year, while top pick Kelvin Banks, Jr. plays a position that unfortunately often goes unnoticed among rookies (he may well end up being the best rookie the Saints have but ask yourself how much you heard Taliese Fuaga’s name on TV last year compared to someone like Bucky Irving). Neal should receive his fair share of touches each game next to Alvin Kamara, and his production in college should lead us to believe he will have a productive rookie year if given enough opportunity in 2025. He may not reach the same level of production, but he could be used in a similar way as Kamara was early in his career, as a pass catching option that gets a few carries a game to take some of the pressure off Kamara, who missed out on his first career 1,000-yard rushing season due to an injury last year.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Bryan Bresee
The Saints top draft choice in 2023 was their leading sacker in 2024, but despite this, I still think he is yet to reach his ceiling. Bresee nearly doubled his sack output from his rookie year, and ranked 6th in the NFL in sacks among defensive tackles. If he continues on this path, he may have a Pro Bowl caliber season in 2025. His run defense could still use some work, but his effectiveness as a pass rusher makes him arguably the most valuable piece on the Saints defensive line.
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