New Orleans Saints Rookie Draft Class Grades From 2023

The 2024 NFL Draft is a little over two months away. Several rookies make significant impacts for their teams every year. For the New Orleans Saints, their 2023 draft class did not have the contributions that were expected. Nevertheless, the rookie class as a whole did show some nice potential and made a bigger contribution down the stretch.

While it is fair to wait a year or two to accurately grade a draft class, immediate impacts are also critical to a team’s success. NFL.com draft analysts Eric Edholm and Chad Reuter ranked the performance of each team’s 2023 draft class as a whole. Here’s where they ranked the performance of the 2023 New Orleans rookies.

New Orleans Saints
Rank = 20
Edholm/Reuter Grade = C+
Round 1

(No. 29) Bryan Bresee , DT | 17 games/0 starts
Round 2

(40) Isaiah Foskey , DE | 10 games/0 starts
Round 3

(71) Kendre Miller , RB | 8 games/0 starts
Round 4

(103) Nick Saldiveri , OG | 4 games/0 starts
(127) Jake Haener , QB | 0 games/starts
Round 5

(146) Jordan Howden , S | 16 games/7 starts
Round 6

(195) A.T. Perry , WR | 10 games/3 starts
Notable free agent signees

Blake Grupe , K | 17 games
Lou Hedley , P | 17 games

Edholm ranked Saints rookies third in the NFC South, just ahead of a D+ grade given to the Carolina Panthers. The Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were both assigned B- grades. Only the Vikings (C), Giants (C-), Panthers, 49ers (D+), Cowboys (D+), and Washington (D+) were graded lower than New Orleans among NFC teams.

It’s hard to argue. Bresee had a marvelous rookie campaign and looks like a potential All-Pro. However, Foskey, Saldiveri, and Haener contributed nothing. A redshirt year was expected for Haener, but he further stunted his own development with a six-game suspension to start the regular season. Saldiveri saw the field for just 18 offensive snaps, despite major issues along the offensive front all year.

Foskey was perhaps the most disappointing. Injuries and ineffectiveness limited him to only 83 defensive snaps in 10 games. This for a defense that managed only 35 sacks, fourth fewest in the NFL, and just 70 tackles for loss.

While it’s too early to call Foskey a bust, his minimal contribution leaves the Saints with a big decision this offseason. Either the team takes yet another edge rusher early in the draft, or they gamble that Foskey and often-injured 2021 first-round choice Payton Turner develop to their expectations.

Another question is whether Jordan Howden showed enough at safety to make veteran Marcus Maye a potential cap casualty. Safety is an underrated need for the Saints, but perhaps less so if coaches believe in Howden’s upside.

Miller finally stayed healthy enough to flash explosive potential to end the season. Perry showed why several analysts projected him for a Day 2 pick last season. Both should be a big part of the New Orleans offense in 2024.

The ceiling for the 2023 Saints Draft Class remains much higher than they showed as rookies. Their progress is mainly dependent on continued development from Bresee, Miller, Howden, and Perry, but also a rapid progression from Foskey.