The New Orleans Saints were left stranded in the middle of the ocean after Derek Carr shockingly announced his retirement from the NFL this offseason. It left the franchise without a starting-caliber quarterback and has effectively pushed the 2025 season into a race for a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
However, that doesn’t mean that the Saints cannot start acquiring talent for their potential franchise quarterback coming in next season. One analyst wants them to improve their woeful defense from last year by adding a former DPOY to their mix.
Could New Orleans Saints Go DPOY Hunting?
Last year, the Saints wanted to compete for a playoff spot, and in the first two weeks, it looked like they might do just that. However, a hot start fell by the wayside, and a seven-game losing streak came to define their year.
They ended up 5-12, with Carr’s injury derailing their already apathetic season However, a major problem for New Orleans throughout the season, even when Carr was on the field, was the defense. Ranking 19th in PFSN’s Defense+ metric, it was a lackluster for the Saints’ defensive unit.
As a result, in his list of final offseason moves for every team in the league, Aaron Schatz of ESPN wants the Saints to go back to the drawing board by adding a former Super Bowl Champion corner, Stephon Gilmore, to their roster.
Like every year since Drew Brees was on his last legs, New Orleans has once again postponed its bill to next season, manipulating the salary cap to give them immediate flexibility. For Schatz, that should equate to adding defensive help, especially given the current construction of their roster.
“Right now, their starters at the position are 2024 second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry and veteran Isaac Yiadom, who returns to New Orleans after playing in San Francisco last season.” Gilmore would be a significant upgrade over those two.
A 2012 first-round pick, Gilmore has lived up to his billing and then some. Earning five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro selections throughout his career, he was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 and won Super Bowl 53 with the New England Patriots.
Stephon Gilmore’s career resume:
– 5x Pro Bowl
– 2x All-Pro 1st Team
– 2019 NFL DPOY
– 2019 Super Bowl Champion
– 2019 NFL PD (20) leader
– 2019 NFL INT (6) co-leader
– Only NFL DPOY in #Patriots historypic.twitter.com/5quUr4RJYX— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) September 14, 2022
“Gilmore maintained his high level in 2024 with Minnesota, ranking 30th in my coverage DVOA metric while being assigned to some of the league’s toughest receivers. He could challenge Yiadom for a starting job, while serving as an important mentor for McKinstry and fourth-round rookie Quincy Riley,” Schatz added.
For a team without many aspirations for the 2025 season, collecting talent that can mentor their young pieces would be an ideal direction to work towards. And Gilmore is a smart choice for that role as a respected locker room leader.