Which Saints stood out in an otherwise disappointing season?
Rookie of the Year: Taliese Fuaga
The New Orleans Saints first overall pick proved to be their best in 2024, as the Oregon State product proved to be a rock at left tackle, playing 98% of the Saints offensive snaps and playing them very well. As he continues to develop Fuaga should prove to be a piece the Saints can rebuild their offensive line around. Other rookies of note include QB Spencer Rattler, who showed flashes of his very high ceiling this year in relief of Derek Carr, and CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, who also was forced into action due to injuries and showed some promise.
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Comeback Player of the Year: Marquez Valdes-Scantling
MVS was one of the more interesting stories of the 2024 Saints season. After being released by the Bills following Week 6 and just 2 receptions in six games, Valdes-Scantling looked to be on his way out of the NFL. The Saints picked him up to bolster a depleted receiving corps that had already lost its top two options just eight games into the season, and once in a Saints uniform MVS proved that he is still a viable deep threat. He had hos most yards since 2022 and most touchdowns since 2020 and finished third on the team in yards per game behind only Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave. The Saints would be well off to bring MVS back for another season to provide depth and another deep threat opposite of Shaheed next year.
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Most Improved Player: Bryan Bresee
The Saints first round pick from 2023 took great strides in the pass rush department this season. Bresee finished with 7.5 sacks this season which led the team and was almost double what he produced last year. Bresee ranked 6th among all DTs in sacks and was one of just four to lead their team in sacks this year. His development into a high-level pass rusher is an important goal for the Saints moving forward as they enter a rebuild.
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Offensive Player of the Year: Alvin Kamara
The Saints were limited by injuries on offense all year, but the best and most consistent part of the offense once again was Alvin Kamara. Kamara missed out on his first ever 1,000-yard season due to an injury causing him to miss the final three games, but despite this, his 950 rushing yards were still a career high. Kamara gained 1,493 all-purpose yards in 2024, the most he has gained since 2020.
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Defensive Player of the Year: Alontae Taylor
Alontae Taylor displayed great consistency and versatility from the nickel position this year. He finished 3rd on the team in tackles, had 4 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, forced 2 fumbles, and had 16 passes defensed. Taylor was everywhere in 2024 and was the only cornerback on the team to play all 17 games.
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MVP: Alvin Kamara
The team MVP in 2024 was none other than Alvin Kamara. He was the most consistent player the Saints had this year, as most of their other star players missed significant time with injuries. Kamara does not just win this by default however, as he had one of the best seasons of his career. He had at least 1,160 all-purpose yards every year in New Orleans and became the Saints all-time rushing leader this season. He is a special player and had yet another special season in 2024.
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