Saints 'Most Underrated Player' Named

The New Orleans Saints are a team with a lot of talent on the roster right now, although there hasn't been a lot of positive buzz about the franchise.

Head coach Kellen Moore and second-round pick Tyler Shough have been praised, for sure, but the roster has brought a lot of questions throughout the offseason so far. This is a roster that could surprise people next year even without universal praise across the league.

Pro Football Focus' Jonathon Macri made a list of the "most underrated player" for each franchise and listed defensive end Carl Granderson for the Saints.

"New Orleans Saints: EDGE Carl Granderson," Macri said. "Granderson’s teammate Cameron Jordan has long been a poster boy for the league’s most underrated players, but with Jordan reaching the end of his career, Granderson has taken over that lead edge defender role and is potentially an underrated player in his own right.

"Over the past two regular seasons, Granderson has delivered 119 quarterback pressures — the 16th most among all players at his position. He not only adds much-needed pass-rush upside, but his 80.7 PFF run-defense grade since 2022 ranks tied for 12th at the position."

Granderson has been with the Saints since 2019. He has six years of experience under his belt and is coming off a season in which he had 5 1/2 sacks. He racked up 8 1/2 sacks in 2023 and another 5 1/2 sacks in 2022. This is a guy who can really get after the quarterback and should have a big impact again in 2025. Much has been said about the Saints' pass rush, but Granderson is a guy fans should be excited about.

More NFL: Ex-Saints QB Makes Case For Competition Frontrunner