With 2023 NFL training camps on the horizon, we’re starting to get an idea of how 2023 NFL draft classes will impact each roster this season.
Let's look at the New Orleans Saints, breaking down the most likely instant-impact rookies from each class, while also providing some insight into why certain early picks may not see the field.
These insights are an excerpt from Warren Sharp's 500+ page book “2023 Football Preview” which is now available for download.
In the book, you can find a comprehensive breakdown of the rookie class for all 32 NFL teams by draft guru Ryan McCrystal.
Who are the New Orleans Saints rookies?
- Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson | Round 1, Pick 29
- Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame | Round 2, Pick 40
- Kendre Miller, RB, TCU | Round 3, Pick 71
- Nick Saldiveri, OT, Old Dominion | Round 4, Pick 103
- Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State | Round 4, Pick 127
- Jordan Howden, S, Minnesota | Round 5, Pick 146
- A.T. Perry, WR, Wake Forest | Round 6, Pick 195
New Orleans Saints Draft Class Grade:
The Saints received a B- rookie class draft grade from PFF, a B- from ESPN, and a C+ from NFL Network.
Which Saints Rookies Will Make An Impact?
The Saints made an effort to address the front seven early in this draft, first landing Bryan Bresee (first round) to play on the interior. Bresee is a former five-star prospect who never fully developed at Clemson due to a series of injuries and other health issues but is still just 21 years old.
In recent years under Dennis Allen, the Saints have relied on a four man front, and new defensive coordinator Joe Woods used four man fronts on over 90% of snaps in each of his three seasons in Cleveland. In this scheme, Bresee should stick to a role on the interior. In 2022, Bresee ranked fourth in the ACC in pressure rate generated from the interior at 12.1%.
Isaiah Foskey (second round) will compete for snaps in the rotation at defensive end. Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson are the incumbent starters, so Foskey will be battling former first-round pick Payton Turner for backup reps.
At Notre Dame, Foskey posted strong numbers overall but often disappeared against top competition. 42% of his quarterback pressures last year were against North Carolina (ranked 120th in pressure rate allowed) and Cal (ranked 108th). In four games against teams ranked in the top 50 of pressure rate allowed, he generated an abysmal 4.1% pressure rate.
Kendre Miller (third round) has the tools to be a workhorse in the backfield but will probably be buried on the depth chart behind Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams as a rookie.
Miller appears to have an ideal balance of athleticism and strength but will need to prove he has the vision to navigate more traffic at the next level. Miller ran into a box with seven or more defenders on just 25% of his carries last year. Saints ball carriers saw a stacked box at a rate of 81.8% in 2022.
Nick Saldiveri (fourth round) played right tackle at Old Dominion but will likely be tried out all along the offensive line. The Saints have a deep unit right now, so he may not see the field in 2023, but Andrus Peat, James Hurst, and Cesar Ruiz are all free agents after the year.
If Jake Haener (fourth round) ever sees the field it will be impossible not to draw comparisons to Drew Brees. Haener is accurate but undersized, much like Brees. What may hold him back, however, is an arm that falls short of even Brees’s modest strength.
On throws five to 15 yards downfield, Haener had an 82.4% on-target rate when throwing between the hash marks but 66.2% outside the hash marks 一 the 20th largest dropoff out of 123 qualified FBS quarterbacks.
Jordan Howden (fifth round) mostly played in the deep secondary as Minnesota relied on a two-high safety scheme at the fourth-highest rate in college football last season. However, he also has experience in the box and the slot. Howden may eventually compete for the job held by Marcus Maye but will need to carve out a special teams role in the short term.
A.T. Perry (sixth round) was a downfield weapon at Wake Forest. 27% of his targets came at least 15 yards downfield in 2022. At 6-foot-4, Perry has the size to compete for the ball and enough speed to stretch the field from the outside. However, he’s a straight-line athlete without much ability to produce after the catch.
This class does very little for the Saints in 2023. Only Bresee has a clear path to the field. However, each of the first four picks could step into significant roles in 2024. Mickey Loomis and the Saints front office clearly used this class to get a head start on filling holes likely to emerge next offseason.