Sep 22, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Isaiah Foskey (55) waits for the kick by the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Saints Under Fire For Massive Draft Blunder, Shocking Cut

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints have put together a decent offseason, all things considered. They lost stars like Derek Carr and Tyrann Mathieu to sudden retirements, but the Saints still battled out of a massive salary cap problem.

But their roster is still one of the worst in the league and it doesn't seem to be getting any better through the NFL Draft.

The Saints have received heavy criticism for their 2023 second round pick of defensive end Isaiah Foskey. FanSided's Steven Negishi recently criticized the decision to draft Foskey after the Saints opted to cut him earlier this week.

Saints' Isaiah Foskey selection blows up in their face

"Isaiah Foskey, a former All-American at Notre Dame, was the Saints' second-round pick (40th overall) in 2023. Foskey, who is also Notre Dame's all-time sack leader, had high expectation as he was expected to thrive under head coach Dennis Allen, who was also their defensive coordinator," Negishi wrote. "But Foskey never found his footing in Allen’s defense and was buried on the depth chart behind Carl Granderson and Chase Young. Even worse, he had zero sacks in his first two years in the NFL, which is very alarming.

"Like Corley, he became a victim of the head coaching change as Allen was fired in the middle of last season, and the Saints hired former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their new head coach. Since he is only 25, there will be teams, who will take a chance on him hoping to unlock his potential."

Foskey is still quite young, so there's a chance he can still carve out an average NFL career. But it won't be with the Saints, which is saying a lot because their roster needs all the help it can get.

Foskey, 24, made little to no impact in the regular season with the Saints. He recorded 25 total tackles and no sacks across two seasons with the team. While he flashed potential in training camp and the preseason, he was unimpactful more often than not.

While it comes as a shock to some fans that the Saints cut ties with their 2023 second round pick, he didn't produce enough to stay on the roster.

More NFL: Saints Under Heavy Fire For 'Worst QB Room' In Football

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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