Saints Narrowly Avoid Last Place In Latest NFL Preseason Power Rankings

The New Orleans Saints are heading into the 2025 season with the lowest outside expectations in recent memory.

Things were already fairly ugly in 2024, as the Saints went 5-12 in starting quarterback Derek Carr's final season. But Carr is retired now, and they were 5-5 when he started versus 0-7 with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener.

With rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough projected to start games at QB this year and a first-time head coach calling the shots in Kellen Moore, the Saints are an easy target for preseason evaluators looking for teams to place near the bottom of their power rankings.

Such was the case for Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab, who ranked the Saints 31st in his preseason preview on Wednesday. And perhaps even more ominously, Schwab assigned the Saints a "D" grade for their offseason transactions.

"The Saints paid three players more than $10 million per season: defensive end Chase Young, safety Justin Reid and tight end Juwan Johnson," Schwab wrote. "None of those moves have much future equity... The Saints' first-round pick of offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. was prudent."

"The second-round pick of quarterback Tyler Shough might work out — many draft experts liked Shough as one of the best passers in the draft — though we'll see if he's a long-term answer for a team in transition. Most of the Saints' moves don't make them better beyond this season. They're unlikely to have much impact in the present either."

Schwab's critique of the Saints' free agency pursuits seems to be a common perception around the sport. This team has amassed years of future salary cap debts, but they continue to restructure contracts and spend significant money every offseason rather than allowing for a true rebuild.

Perhaps that rebuild is coming after a dismal 2025 season. But as long as that season has yet to begin, fans can still hold out hope that Moore and Shough have a miracle brewing.

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