Year 1 of defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s scheme unlocked some of the New Orleans Saints edge defenders.
Chase Young had a career year despite missing the first five games with a calf injury. Cam Jordan turned back the clock by posting his first double-digit sack campaign in years. Carl Granderson exceeded his 2024 sack total despite playing 170 fewer pass rush snaps.
All of those players had been 4-3 defensive ends before Staley arrived, and all delivered quality snaps as standup edge rushers in Staley’s 3-4 scheme. Now the question is, what could Staley draw up for a player who is a more natural fit for what he is trying to do? The days of the Saints zeroing on edge defenders who fit their narrow prototypes are probably done.
Young will still play a prominent role, there is no doubt about that, because his physical gifts would fit a lot of schemes. But this month’s NFL draft could be the time New Orleans goes outside of its usual box and selects a player high who didn’t fit its previous archetype — which was tall, long and heavy.
This draft has three players who could fill that need at No. 8, but it dries up a little after that.
The top-10 talents
Ohio State LB Arvell Reese 6-foot-4, 241: A disclaimer: A team almost certainly will select Reese before the Saints’ turn comes around at No. 8, so we’ll keep this short. But players do have surprising slides, and if Reese made it to the Saints, he would have to be in the mix for the pick.
Reese is a tooled-up version of Jalon Walker from a year ago, one of a new breed of defensive players who are physically gifted enough to play either off the ball or on the edge. He racked up 6½ sacks for the Buckeyes a year ago while splitting his snaps between linebacker and edge.
For someone like Staley, who has shown a knack for maximizing player’s strengths in his time as a defensive play-caller, Reese would be a tantalizing option.
Texas Tech edge David Bailey 6-4, 251: Who better to rev up the Saints’ pass rush than the man who led the FBS with 14½ sacks a year ago?
Bailey used a lot of tools to win at the college level, showing a sophistication to his rush plan. Like Young, he is a “speed-to-power” edge rusher, but he showed off an impressive array of counter moves to opposing pass blockers.
He likely would have been too small to fit the Saints’ previous rush end prototype, but under Staley, Bailey’s traits should fit right in. He is another player who could hear his name called within the draft’s first five picks.
Miami edge Rueben Bain, 6-2, 263: If we’re talking about players who don’t fit old prototypes, Bain’s name would probably be at the top of the list. He is the player in this year’s draft cycle whose name drives the arm-length narrative.
That may still be an issue for the Saints, who have long prioritized physical traits. Bain is decidedly not long, with his 30⅞-inch arms being a talking point at the combine. The rest of his frame also doesn’t necessarily fit the ideal for a 3-4 stand-up edge.
So take that for what its worth. Because the rest of Bain’s résumé is as impressive as it gets.
The Miami star plays with controlled aggression and a high motor, and he was a menace for opposing offensive tackles throughout his college career, with 20½ sacks, 33½ tackles for loss and four forced fumbles in his three years in Coral Gables.
After his pro day, Bain said, “Mike Tyson wasn't the tallest guy. He wasn't the longest-limbed guy. But when you felt him, you felt him. You kept your distance."
Later options
Miami edge Akheem Mesidor, 6-3, 259: Bain’s college teammate is not a candidate to go in the top 10, but there is a good chance he will come off the board before the Saints’ turn comes around on Day 2.
There are some factors that could push Mesidor down on draft boards, though. Like Tyler Shough last year, he’s an older prospect who played six seasons of college football (Mesidor turns 25 in April). He also has some injury history, having missed most of the 2023 season with a chronic foot issue that required surgery.
As a pure rusher, there is a lot to like about Mesidor, even if he is a bit undersized. He deploys an impressive array of moves, displaying an ability to beat tackles with both finesse and power, and he plays hard. Mesidor’s college production also speaks for itself: He racked up 35½ sacks in his college career, including 12½ during Miami’s 2025 season.
Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell, 6-2, 253: Howell is another player whose size and arm length could be a red flag for some teams — but they’d have to overlook a lot of other positives.
Howell is an explosive pass rusher who specializes in getting after quarterbacks. He put up 25 sacks in his final three college seasons — one at Bowling Green, two at Texas A&M — with 11½ sacks and 14 tackles for loss last season on his way to Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors.
The question is whether he will be able to maintain that against bigger, more athletic NFL linemen. Howell’s arms measured under 31 inches, and he’s one of the smaller players among this class’ top edge defenders. He might best be suited for a situational pass rushing role to begin his career.