Rare accolade shows Saints headed in right direction

Kool-Aid McKinstry's DPOW win highlights Saints youth movement

McKinstry, a 2024 second-round pick, had arguably his best game as a pro in the 26-14 win over New York, allowing five receptions on nine targets for 45 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions and a pass breakup, per Pro Football Focus data.

McKinstry, 23, was one of several young Saints players to play a key role in the win, a small but significant step in the right direction for an organization that opened the season without many future foundational pieces.

New Orleans, which has the NFL's youngest head coach, Kellen Moore, started six players under the age of 24 against the Giants, its most in a win since 2018, which was the year after the Saints landed the Associated Press Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year (running back Alvin Kamara, cornerback Marshon Lattimore).

That includes defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, who turned 24 on Monday. This season, he ranks fifth among qualified defensive linemen in average time to pressure (2.42s), trailing San Francisco 49ers edge Nick Bosa (2.39s) and directly ahead of Houston Texans edge Will Anderson (2.45s), per NFL Pro data.

NFL on CBS producer Ben Fennell shared a video of some of his quick pressures on social media, showing Bresee developing a difficult-to-defend spin move.

Rookie safety Jonas Sanker, 22, continues to look like a future cornerstone in the secondary. According to PFF, Sanker allowed nine yards on three receptions (five targets) last Sunday, one week after recording his career first interception against Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak shared multiple Sanker highlights in pass coverage earlier this week, including the 2025 third-rounder keeping up with speedy Giants wideout Jalin Hyatt on a deep pass breakup and also having the physicality to lock up Bills tight end Dawson Knox the week prior.

The youth movement wasn't limited to defense in Week 5, with three offensive linemen under 24, including 2024 and 2025 first-round draft pick tackles Kelvin Banks Jr., 21 and Taliese Fuaga, 23, and rookie undrafted free-agent guard Torricelli Simpkins III, 23, holding up on their end by preventing a formidable Giants front from sacking quarterback Spencer Rattler.

Arguably, no team had a bleaker future outlook than the Saints at the start of the season. The organization still has plenty of work to do over the next couple of offseasons to once again be a perennial playoff contender, but some building blocks are beginning to take shape. Considering where the Saints were, that's a massive win.