Saints Vet Quietly Emerging As 'Biggest Surprise'

The New Orleans Saints have a roster capable of winning more than the five games they won last year.

New Orleans was riddled with injuries all throughout the roster. The Saints went 5-12 and couldn't really catch a break. That resulted in the Saints landing the No. 9 pick in the 2025 National Football League Draft and using it on offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. The Saints also used their second-round pick to select quarterback Tyler Shough who will be a part of the solution for the future, whether that means starting Week 1 in 2025 or not.

The Saints also hired Kellen Moore to help turn the team around fresh off of being the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator in 2024.

New Orleans lost some guys this offseason like Derek Carr and Paulson Adebo, but there is a lot of talent still here and more pieces that were added, like Brandin Cooks and safety Justin Reid.

One thing that should bring optimism to the fanbase is the fact that the offensive line is getting a lot of buzz. For example, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer talked about how the line could be one of the biggest reasons why the Saints turn things around in 2025.

That's not all, though. ESPN's Katherine Terrell also said former first-rounder Trevor Penning has been the team's "biggest surprise" of the offseason.

"New Orleans Saints," Terrell said. " OL Trevor Penning. The 2022 first-round pick may have been given new life after his third position change. Penning came into the league with the expectation he would be a starting LT, was benched in 2023 and switched to right tackle in 2024. The Saints did not pick up his fifth-year option but clearly still believe in him after moving him to left guard.

"Penning was the starting LG all throughout OTAs and minicamp, and that's a sign he might quietly find his role again after a difficult first three years in the league."

Penning is a guy who has gotten a lot of heat over the last few years, but things are trending in the right direction.

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