The Saints ranked middle of the pack in most offensive categories for 2024. However, they were 1st in the NFL in goal-to-go percentage and 11th in the red zone. Due to the mediocrity in other areas, they finished tied for 24th in points per game.
The Saints hired Kellen Moore as their new head coach, and the offense has a solid foundation built through drafting offensive lineman in the 1st round in 4 of the last 6 drafts, including drafting their left and right tackles the last 2 years. The year prior to that run (2019), they used a 2nd round pick on their current starting center.
QB: Tyler Shough
The Saints have drafted a QB in each of the last 3 drafts with Jake Haener in the 4th round (2023), Spencer Rattler in the 5th round (2024) and most recently, Shough in the 2nd round of this year’s draft. Shough spent 7 years at 3 different colleges and suffered multiple injuries. Last year was the first time that he played in more than 7 games in a single season.
He throws a nice “go” ball and can drive it into tight windows when his feet are set. Oddly, he’s better rolling to his left than his right. He recoils in the face of pressure, opting to sling it and rely solely on arm talent, which often gets him into trouble. Rather than take a sack, he chooses to toss the ball up, giving the defense ample opportunities to create turnovers.
QB: Spencer Rattler
Rattler’s been an afterthought to many after losing his starting job to future #1 overall pick, Caleb Williams, at Oklahoma in 2021, before both parted to go to different USCs. Some are writing Rattler off again due to a newcomer to his current roster, in Shough. As a rookie in 2024, Rattler’s stat line was less than desirable
To be fair to Rattler in his 6 starts last year, he was without Taysom Hill and Rashid Shaheed for 5 games, Chris Olave for 4 games, Alvin Kamara for 3 games and Kendre Miller for 2 games. Despite only 6 starts, he was the QB when these players had their best game for receiving yards in 2024: Olave, Johnson, Wilson, Means, Moreau, Miller, Pettis and Tipton.
RB: Alvin Kamara
Only Derrick Henry and Joe Mixon have more total touches among all active NFL running backs, than Kamara. Kamara has missed at least 1 game each season since he played in all 16 as a rookie. Over the last 4 years, he has missed an average of 3 games per season.
Despite the increase in missed games, Kamara has been tasked with carrying more of the load on the ground over the last 4 seasons with an average of 218 carries per year, which is up from 168 per year over his first 4 NFL seasons. He did less with more as he averaged 5.0 ypc over the first 4 years, which has dropped to 3.9 ypc over the last 4 years.
RB: Kendre Miller
Through 2 NFL seasons, Miller has only played in 14 out of a possible 34 games. He’s averaged 40 carries a season for 3.8 yards per carry each year. He’ll need to prove that he can stay healthy and become more efficient for his role to develop in Year 3.
RB: Devin Neal
In Neal’s last 3 collegiate seasons, he amassed 20+ receptions and 1,000 yards rushing each year. The last 2 seasons saw him total 16 rushing TDs each year. At 5’11 / 213 pounds, he’s not the fastest (4.58) or most explosive but he’s stout to hold up in blitz pickup and more than capable as a receiving option underneath.
As a runner, he makes up for the lack of burst and pull-away speed with patience, vision and a consistent ability to buckle on-coming tackles knees with quick feet that he uses to sell fakes in tight spaces and quickly cuts off of with smart angles to pull away.
RB: Cam Akers / Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Akers and Edwards-Helaire are capable, veteran backs. Both of them started their careers strong back in 2020 and had a couple of good years but have struggled to stay healthy and efficient. The trio of Miller, Akers, and Edwards-Helaire provides insurance for each other due to their struggles with health and effectiveness.
WR: Chris Olave
Olave started his career with back-to-back 1,000+ yards and 4+ TDs seasons before missing 9 games in 2024 due to multiple concussions. His catch rate had gone up from 60.5% as a rookie to 63.0% in Year 2 to 73% last year. Olave’s one game of 100+ yards in 2024 came in the only game that he played in and finished with Rattler starting at QB.
WR: Rashid Shaheed
Shaheed burst on the scene in his rookie season back in 2022 with 28 receptions for 488 yards (17.4 ypr) and 2 TDs with a 82% catch rate. The combination of yards per reception at 17.4 and catch rate of 82% was phenomenal and eye-popping. The following season, both numbers dipped as his targets jumped from 34 to 75 year-over-year.
He finished 2023 averaging 15.6 yards per reception with a drop of over 20% in catch rate, down to 61%. Last year the average was back up to 17.5 yards per reception but his catch rate bottomed out at 49% on 41 targets. He missed 11 games due to tearing his meniscus.
WR: Brandin Cooks
The Saints drafted Cooks in the first round over a decade ago. He’d go on to play his first 3 seasons in New Orleans before moving on to New England, then Los Angeles (Rams), followed by 2 stops in Texas with the Texans and then Cowboys before coming full circle with a return to the Saints for 2025.
From 2015-2021 Cooks only missed 4 games during those 7 seasons. He missed 7 games last year and 12 over the last 3 years. After averaging a catch rate of 66% over the first 10 years of his career Cooks finished last season with a 49% catch rate, despite having the lowest yards per reception (10.0) in his career.
WR: Bub Means
Means didn’t have any stats until Rattler’s first start in their rookie season. Then in that game he saw 8 targets which he caught 5 for 45 yards and a TD. In the next game 4 days later, Means would catch 3 of 5 targets for 37 yards. The following game, he’d go 36 yards on his lone target before suffering a high-ankle sprain that sidelined him for the rest of the year.
TE: Juwan Johnson
Johnson has caught 3+ TDs in 4 straight seasons. Despite missing 4 games in 2023, he has averaged 43 / 475 / 5 over his last 3 seasons. His catch rate for his career before last year was 62%. He finished last year with a catch rate of 76% despite still averaging 11.0 ypr, which was right on par with his career average of 11.2.
TE: Tayson Hill
Despite missing 9 games last year and 5 games in 2021, Hill has averaged over 400 rush yards and 6 rushing TDs on 5.6 yards per carry over the last 5 seasons. The last 2 seasons, he’s averaged 28 receptions for 239 yards.
TE: Foster Moreau
In 3 of the last 4 seasons Moreau has had 30+ receptions with around 400 receiving yards and multiple TDs, including 5 last season alone. Due to Hill’s position versatility, Moreau is able to stay in the mix despite Johnson ahead of him and Hill factoring into the equation as well.
BREAKOUT PLAYER: Chris Olave
Olave hasn’t managed to put it all together through his first 3 NFL seasons. He’s shown his high-end potential but has dealt with yearly concussions and rotating quarterbacks. Through 3 years he’s played with Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston, Derek Carr and Rattler’s first NFL start.
In Rattler’s first start, Olave was targeted 14 times for 8 receptions and 107 yards. That’s tied for the 2nd most targets he’s had in a game. Rattler has shown that he’ll lean on his playmaker. Olave has averaged 9 starts per year through 3 seasons. He starts 15+ in 2025 and matches his career total of 10 TDs, this year alone on 95 receptions for 1,200 yards.
BUST: Brandin Cooks
Cooks turns 32 the first month of the 2025 season and has seen his numbers decline in targets, receptions each year since 2021. Players go back to the team they started with late in their career to reminisce about better days and to say goodbye. (see Mike Williams / Chargers).
Cooks has missed 12 games over the last 3 seasons after missing only 4 over the previous 7 years. He’ll continue to miss games and will give up snaps to 2nd-year WR Bub Means. He’ll fall to 4th in the receiver group if Olave, Means and Shaheed can remain healthy.
SLEEPER: Devin Neal
There will be more recognizable names behind Kamara on the RB depth chart for 2025 with Miller, Akers, and Edwards-Helaire but Neal will not only work himself up the list and ahead of each of the trio but also eat into Kamara’s carries. New Orleans will get Kamara back to being a 180 carry, more efficient rusher than the waterdown 220+ carry back he’s been the last 4 years.
Neal will take over the Mark Ingram / Latavius Murray role as the complement to Kamara. He’ll get 140 carries for 600 yards and also chip in 20+ receptions for 150 receiving yards with 7 total TDs.
BOLD PREDICTION: Spencer Rattler
First, Rattler will beat out Shough to win the QB battle. Then, after having to throw to backups for the most part of his 6 starts, he’ll feel spoiled by starting the year with Olave, Shaheed, Cooks and a 2nd year with Means. He has an upgrade at depth behind his starting RB, Kamara. He also gets Taysom Hill back and ready to contribute.
He built chemistry with his tight ends, Johnson and Moreau, last year with all of the top receivers injured. Rattler completed 19 passes for 224 yards and a TD to Johnson and Moreau over the last 2 games on 26 targets combined. Rattler finishes 2025 with 3,000 passing yards, 300 rushing yards and 28 total TDs.
