NFL Network analyst Kevin Patra highlighted New Orleans Saints defensive end Carl Granderson as the team’s surprise contributor in 2023. Granderson was prepared for a greater role in his fifth year out of Wyoming. He was supposed to lead a rotation with Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey. The rotation never came to fruition, but Granderson delivered on his own.
Here’s what Patra had to say in recapping Granderson’s year:
The Saints locked up the former undrafted free agent to a contract extension in September for good reason. The 27-year-old has become the club’s most reliable front-seven defender, leading the team with 8.5 sacks and 64 QB pressures (26 more than any other Saint), per NGS. His 60 stops were second-most for New Orleans, behind only Demario Davis (69), and ranking fourth among all defensive linemen. Granderson’s ability to play in the backfield was essential for an up-and-down Saints club that otherwise struggled to get after the quarterback (New Orleans’ total of 34 sacks was tied for fourth-fewest in the league).
Granderson represented the lone bright spot at a position the Saints clearly need to invest in this offseason. When he was stepping into a bigger role, many had questions on how he’d perform. It is doubtful even the most optimistic people felt Granderson would be the most dependable defensive lineman for New Orleans in 2023.
