How well did the line in New Orleans hold up in 2024?
The New Orleans Saints offensive line had a very up and down season in 2024. On the one hand, rookie first round NFL Draft pick Taliese Fuaga started every game and looked great at left tackle, but on the other hand, the interior of the line was a revolving door all season and there was not much to be optimistic about aside from Fuaga and Erik McCoy, who only played in five full games all year due to injury. Trevor Penning and Cesar Ruiz looked average and the left guard position is a complete mystery. The Saints had eight offensive linemen play over 25% of the offensive snaps last year, tied for the most in the NFL.
Guard and center this year was a constant rotation between Lucas Patrick, Landon Young, Connor McGovern, Nick Saldiveri, and Shane Lemieux, all of whom finished with a PFF grade below 65. None of these players looked like long term solutions, so I would expect the Saints to draft at least two interior offensive linemen in the upcoming draft.
Despite the constant turnover, the Saints offensive line was far from the worst in the NFL. They gave up 37 sacks, 20th most in the NFL, and helped the Saints gain the 14th most rushing yards per game across the league.
The most unfortunate aspect of the Saints line however is the health of All-Pro tackle Ryan Ramczyk. When healthy, Ramczyk is arguably the best right tackle in football, but a catastrophic knee injury cost him all of the 2024 season and it is now looking like that will probably force him into early retirement at the age of just 30. The injuries to McCoy are also concerning, but this was the first year he missed more than four games, and despite playing just five complete games this year, he was still named to his second straight Pro-Bowl (granted as an alternate).
The offense this year looked completely different with and without McCoy. I am not ready to give up on this unit yet but some changes need to occur for them to become above average again. Fuaga will have to keep developing, Penning and Ruiz will need to avoid any regression, McCoy will have to stay healthy, and they will need to find a solid option at left guard. The issue at left guard is that at the moment, the Saints have limited money and other holes in their the roster, so it is unlikely they will be able to afford a big name free agent and may look elsewhere in the draft with their first overall pick and wait until the later rounds to take a lineman, which could be risky.
The #Saints offense with Erik McCoy vs without Erik McCoy:
428 total yards per game with
317 total yards per game without42 points per game with
17 point per game without3-0 record with
1-7 record without+83 point differential with
-81 point differential without— Hayden Reel (@Hayden_Reel) November 19, 2024
2025 will be a crossroads year for the Saints offensive line. I expect them to bring back most of the starting unit from last year, and if things go well, they could have 4/5 starters lined up for the next 4-5 years, and if not, they may be looking for three new offensive linemen next offseason.
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