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The New Orleans Saints have a rich history of terrific linebackers. Joe Federspiel and Jim Merlo were standout defenders on otherwise awful defenses through the 1970s.
The Dome Patrol foursome of Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling, Sam Mills, and Vaughan Johnson helped make the team legitimate contenders through the late-1980s into the early 1990s. All four are in the franchise Hall of Fame, with Jackson and Mills also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Swilling more than deserving of a spot.
Through the late 1990s into the early 2000s, Mark Fields and Keith Mitchell continued the team’s tradition of strong linebackers. The acquisition of Jonathan Vilma was crucial in helping the Saints to a Super Bowl XLIV championship, joining the underrated duo of Scott Shanle and Scott Fujita.
Over the last few years, LB Demario Davis has etched his name onto the list of franchise icons. In 2021, he was joined by Pete Werner, who replaced another solid linebacker in Kwon Alexander. Even Kaden Elliss had a Pro Bowl-caliber performance when Werner was injured last season.
Pro Football Focus writer Dalton Wasserman ranked that site's NFL linebacking corps in an article on June 20.
The New Orleans Saints came in at Number 4 on the PFF rankings. They were slotted just behind the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears (huh?), and Baltimore Ravens.
Here's what Wasserman had to say about the Saints ranking.
Demario Davis has graded above 75.0 in all five of his seasons in New Orleans, with his 82.7 overall grade good for fourth at the position in 2022. He’s also as durable as they come, as he has played the fourth-most snaps of any linebacker over the last five years. He was well up to standard in coverage last season and added a career-high nine sacks to his ledger, as well. He is the most indispensable player in New Orleans’ defense.
The Saints may have ranked even higher had they been able to hold on to Kaden Elliss, but his departure to Atlanta likely leaves the starting role opposite Davis to third-year man Pete Werner.
Back in 2021, Werner had a tremendous rookie season that included an elite 91.0 run-defense grade. His performance fell off a bit in 2022, and Elliss’ breakout cut into his playing time. The 2021 version of Werner would have the Saints challenging for the top spot on this list. The 2022 version is more of a serviceable contributor than a star. His play will be worth watching this coming season.
Still one of the NFL's elite defenders at any position, the 34-year-old Davis is entering his 12th season. He is coming off his fifth consecutive year of over 100 tackles, including 10 for loss. Davis also had 10 pressures and a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2022. Additionally, he had one of the team’s seven interceptions, broke up four passes, and allowed less than 68% completion percentage in man coverage.
Contrary to PFF comments, Werner was on his way to a possible Pro Bowl bid before being slowed by an ankle injury in Week 9, causing him to miss five games. At the time of his injury, he was leading the league in tackles. He still finished with 80 total tackles and 56 solo stops, second on the team, despite appearing in just 12 contests.
Werner's injury opened the door to a breakout performance by Elliss. His departure creates a void. However, the Saints typically employ just two linebackers in most of their defensive packages.
Davis and Werner are both athletic and versatile defenders. The team would like to see more big plays from Werner, like they get from Davis, but each are terrific run defenders with the speed for sideline-to-sideline pursuit and coverage responsibilities. An underrated part of both players is their awareness and ability to quickly break down opposing offenses.
The Saints do have potential depth concerns here, especially if Davis or Werner were to miss any time. As PFF suggested, fourth-year LB Zack Baun will get the first crack at replacing Elliss. D'Marco Jackson, a fifth-round selection last season, is also a player to watch here.
Baun, a third-round choice in the 2020 NFL Draft, has been a poor fit for this scheme over his first three years. Jackson missed his entire rookie campaign with an injury. Undrafted rookies Anfernee Orji and Nick Anderson could have a big say in the depth chart. All of the players listed on the LB depth chart behind Davis and Werner have a combined 34 games of NFL experience, with most of that coming on special teams.
If the Saints don't like what they see out of their unproven depth early in training camp, don't be surprised to see the team add a veteran linebacker. There is plenty of talent surprisingly available. Former Saint Kwon Alexander heads a list that includes Rashaan Evans, Anthony Barr, Zach Cunningham, Myles Jack, Deion Jones, and Jarrad Davis.
New Orleans asks a lot of their linebackers in their defensive scheme. While there are depth questions, Demario Davis and Pete Werner form one of the NFL's best tandems at the position. They'll be critical to what is expected to be an outstanding Saints defense in 2023.
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