New Orleans Saints Set to Replace Marshon Lattimore: A Look at the 2025 NFL Draft and the Pursuit of Will Johnson…

The New Orleans Saints are in the midst of one of the most critical offseasons in recent memory. Following another disappointing season, the Saints found themselves once again out of the playoff picture, marking their fourth consecutive year of missing the postseason. With injuries and a stagnant offense playing a significant role in their inability to compete at the highest level, the Saints now face the daunting task of rebuilding a roster that has more holes than it has had in years.

One of the most pressing issues the Saints need to address this offseason is the defensive backfield, specifically the cornerback position. With Marshon Lattimore, one of the NFL’s premier cornerbacks, traded away for a third-round pick, the team finds itself in need of a true shutdown corner. Enter the 2025 NFL Draft, where the Saints hope to find a worthy replacement for Lattimore.

The 2025 NFL Draft: A Fresh Start for the Saints

The New Orleans Saints have been in a state of flux ever since the departure of head coach Sean Payton and the decline of their once-stellar defense. This past season, despite a promising start, injuries and roster instability kept the team from finding any real rhythm, leaving them with a 5-12 record and a hole in the defensive backfield that will be hard to fill.

As the Saints look ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft, they are faced with the challenge of balancing their needs for both offensive and defensive improvements. However, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper, the Saints’ most urgent need in this draft is at cornerback. With Lattimore now out of the picture, Kiper believes the Saints will use their valuable ninth-overall pick to select Will Johnson, a rising star cornerback out of Michigan.

Kiper is adamant that Johnson has the tools necessary to step into the NFL and contribute right away. “Johnson—who reads the quarterback incredibly well and has the quickness to finish plays with takeaways—could be the Marshon Lattimore replacement in New Orleans,” Kiper writes in his latest mock draft. “They have to find Day 1 starters in the draft, and Johnson would fill a big hole.”

Will Johnson: The Cornerback New Orleans Needs?

Will Johnson, who has been gaining attention as one of the top cornerback prospects in the 2025 draft class, has the potential to be a true game-changer for the Saints. Standing at 6’2” and weighing in at 200 pounds, Johnson possesses the size and physicality that teams covet in a cornerback. His ability to handle both bigger receivers and quick, nimble ones makes him versatile enough to excel in various defensive schemes, an asset the Saints sorely need after Lattimore’s departure.

Johnson’s skill set, however, goes beyond his size and athleticism. A player with high football IQ, he is known for his ability to read the quarterback’s eyes and predict where the ball is going, making him a prime candidate for creating turnovers. His instincts in zone coverage are equally impressive, as he can anticipate routes and pounce on passes before receivers even have a chance to make a play.

While Johnson has shown he can thrive in man-to-man coverage, his agility and quickness also lend themselves well to the Saints’ typical zone-based defensive schemes. The Michigan product’s footwork and ability to mirror receivers throughout their routes make him one of the most polished cornerbacks in this draft class, even though he may need to fine-tune his overall technique and tackling ability.

Despite being a standout in college, Johnson’s game is not without its flaws. Like many young cornerbacks, he can struggle with his fundamentals at times, particularly against elite receivers who know how to exploit slight missteps. His tackling, though solid, is also an area that will need improvement. However, with the right coaching and development, Johnson has the potential to become a lockdown cornerback in the NFL—a player that the Saints could build their secondary around for years to come.

The Saints’ Cornerback Depth: What Does the Future Hold?

The idea of replacing Lattimore with a prospect like Will Johnson brings both excitement and concern to Saints fans. The team’s decision to trade Lattimore has already raised questions about the direction of the franchise, and with the cornerback’s departure, New Orleans finds itself with a major void to fill. While Johnson appears to be a strong candidate, the question remains: Will the Saints be able to pair him with other cornerbacks to solidify the secondary?

As of now, the Saints’ other starting cornerback, Paulson Adebo, is an impending free agent. Adebo, a former third-round pick, has shown flashes of promise during his time in New Orleans but remains unproven as a consistent top-tier starter. The Saints have limited financial flexibility this offseason, sitting $52.3 million over the salary cap, so retaining Adebo could prove challenging unless the team works to restructure contracts or make other financial moves.

If Adebo is re-signed, he could form a formidable duo with Johnson, especially if the rookie can immediately transition to a starting role. However, if Adebo walks in free agency, the Saints may be forced to rely solely on their rookie cornerback to fill a significant void, making the need for a reliable veteran presence even more crucial.

What’s Next for the Saints in the 2025 Draft?

While the cornerback position is the Saints’ most glaring need, the 2025 draft is filled with other areas that the team will likely address. The offensive line, which has struggled at times to protect quarterback Derek Carr, is another priority. The Saints are likely to target a potential left tackle or guard early in the draft to shore up the protection in front of their signal-caller.

Some have speculated that the Saints might use their first-round pick on a prospect like Will Campbell, an offensive tackle from LSU who has impressed scouts with his size, strength, and athleticism. Given the volatility of the Saints’ cap situation, this move could help stabilize the line and give Carr a more solid foundation moving forward.

However, assuming they draft Johnson with the ninth-overall pick, the Saints will need to look for solutions in other positions with their remaining selections. With the team’s salary cap constraints, finding starters and contributors on a budget will be key to the Saints’ success in 2025 and beyond.

The Saints’ Road Ahead: A Rebuilding Effort in the Making

The decision to trade Marshon Lattimore signals a shift in philosophy for the New Orleans Saints. After years of being a perennial playoff contender, the franchise is now in the midst of an overhaul. While some fans are concerned about the lack of direction following a disappointing 2024 season, the team is attempting to balance both the need for veteran leadership and the desire to build through the draft.

Selecting Will Johnson as Lattimore’s replacement is the first step in a long process, but it’s a promising one. If Johnson can develop into the player many expect him to be, the Saints could find themselves with a new defensive cornerstone for the next decade. Coupled with key additions to the offensive line and perhaps more pieces in the secondary, New Orleans may be on its way back to relevance sooner than expected.

The Saints’ future rests on hitting on their draft picks, especially with their current salary cap constraints and limited flexibility in free agency. Fans can only hope that the team’s front office, led by general manager Mickey Loomis, will make the right calls, starting with a top-tier cornerback like Will Johnson. If the Saints can strengthen their defense while continuing to develop their offense, the window for a successful rebuild could be open sooner than anticipated.

As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, all eyes will be on the New Orleans Saints and their first-round pick. Will Johnson could be the new face of the defense, and the team’s selection could prove to be one of the most important moves in the post-Lattimore era.

BREAKING: Saints told to take Jaguars’ example and fire their GM Mickey Loomis following….….

Organizational dysfunction.

These two words get thrown around social media spaces like people’s lives depend on using the phrase every chance they get. But what is true organizational dysfunction? Well, we got a glimpse of it with the Jacksonville Jaguars in recent years, and they finally made the decision to move on from general manager Trent Baalke.

It starts with complacency. Complacency with being mediocre, and rather than having the ambition to be the best, focusing on just getting back to being “good” or “serviceable.” The Jacksonville Jaguars struggled mightily in finding the right coach for them, struggled to build a core around their former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence, and ultimately struggled to find a vision of what they wanted to be. Does any of this sound familiar?

While the New Orleans Saints do not have the number-one overall draft pick at quarterback, they have been running adrift for multiple seasons now after the losses of Drew Brees and Sean Payton to retirement and trade respectively. Additionally, the Dennis Allen hire was a resounding failure, and yet Loomis continues to defend him even post-firing, which certainly does not help his image, nor the image of a cohesive decision making process between him and the rest of the front office/ownership.

The roster management is one of the worst issues though. For a few years now many have called for things to be stripped down to the core, and whether or not you may agree with that assessment, the roster has not performed anywhere near expected, and has suffered significant amounts of injuries. Is this an age issue? Maybe, maybe not. Is it an unwillingness to bring in more experts to assess the situation and dive further into why soft tissue injuries are occurring at such a high rate? Yes.

Loomis has made it abundantly clear in multiple press conferences that he wants the team to remain competitive, which again, make your own assessment. But at the same time, coming off a 5-12 season, there is absolutely no sense of urgency, and you could see that from his post-season media appearance. I have no doubt that he is doing what he thinks is right, and I also understand that this may not be the easiest situation to deal with post-Brees and Payton. However, consistently trying to dig your heels in on the notion of needing to remain competitive after an atrocious season is a tough pill to swallow for fans.

On top of all of that, improving the roster has become an enormous difficulty because of the cap space. They always find a way to circumvent it which is fine to an extent, and required to at least be compliant, however it hamstrings the team each year in what free agents they are able to pursue, as they are not able to offer substantial contracts. Additionally, it forces them to make choices on who to retain, which allows players like Trey Hendrickson to walk. I personally have always been somewhat of a fan of watching it happen, but one of these years it would be so nice to not come into the offseason 50-90 million dollars in the hole, and rather have cap space to pursue players early in the process.

Then we can get to the draft picks, which sure, are not fully the responsibility of Loomis and who truly knows how much say he has in the process. So let’s for a second say its not him calling some of the shots on picks, why do you as a general manager see approximately (and I am going to be enormously generous here) eight players in the draft classes from 2018-2023 panning out, and allow the staff to remain intact that is making those calls.

2018 was an absolute draft class disaster

Erik McCoy is the only player who is still a quality player for the Saints from 2019

2020 you somehow got down to only four picks, and just one remains in Cesar Ruiz

2021 you have Pete Werner and Paulson Adebo

2022 you got Chris Olave, Trevor Penning, and Alontae Taylor

2023 you got Bryan Bresee

Outside that, you also had guys like Kaden Elliss, Zach Baun, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson who have gone on to have solid seasons elsewhere, except that doesn’t help you. The Saints had 34 picks from the 2018 to 2023 draft class, if only eight were quality producers, that’s a 23.5% success rate. There are very few jobs where you can be right less than a quarter of the time and still have job security.

Overall, Loomis has gone from the founder of cap mythology and constructor of elite rosters to the pariah of the organization in many fans eyes in the span of about five to six years.

Maybe Loomis deserves one more shot to get the coaching hire right, he has really only had one true shot at hiring a new coach post-Payton, and it was a dud no doubt, but mistakes do happen. If he is unable to hire a quality candidate this year, or worse, whiffs on the quality ones because he waited too long or could not sell them on the team, there needs to be discussions about a new general manager hire. Whether that come in the form of his firing or being moved into some other part of the executive management, it needs to be looked at if the organization continues down this path.

Breaking News: Gayle Benson Appoints New Head Coach for New Orleans Saints.

In a highly anticipated move, New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson has officially named a new head coach for the franchise. The announcement, made earlier today, signals a new chapter in the team’s history as they look to regain championship contention and reinvigorate their loyal fanbase.

Benson, who took over ownership of the Saints after the passing of her husband, Tom Benson, in 2018, has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of the organization. Under her leadership, the Saints have seen continued success, though the team’s performance in recent seasons has fallen short of their Super Bowl aspirations. Today’s decision is a clear indication that the Saints are committed to returning to elite status.

While the name of the new head coach has not yet been revealed in the initial announcement, sources close to the team suggest the hire was a strategic one aimed at revitalizing the Saints’ offensive and defensive schemes. Gayle Benson, in her statement, expressed confidence in the new coach’s vision and leadership ability, emphasizing the importance of a fresh start to propel the team forward.

“We are excited to welcome our new head coach to the Saints family,” Benson said in a press release. “This is an important step toward building the next great era of Saints football. We are confident that with the leadership of our new head coach, we will continue to be competitive and bring a championship back to New Orleans.”

The decision comes on the heels of a challenging season for the Saints, who have struggled to find consistent success since the departure of longtime quarterback Drew Brees. The team is in need of a dynamic leader who can navigate the challenges of rebuilding and reinvigorating the roster, particularly with a changing quarterback situation and a need for defensive upgrades.

Fans of the Saints, known for their passionate support, are eager to see how the new coach will shape the future of the franchise. The appointment is expected to stir excitement both in New Orleans and across the NFL as analysts and insiders begin to speculate on the direction the team will take in the coming months.

Ex-Raiders QB Derek Carr Already on Hot Seat With Saints

New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr.

Derek Carr has built a lot of credibility with the Las Vegas Raiders franchise during his nine years with the team. That led to the team sticking with him through some tough stretches.

However, he does not have that same credibility with the New Orleans Saints. He was supposed to help get the team back on track after they stumbled following the retirement of Drew Brees. Instead, Carr has gone a combined 14-13 in starts for the Saints the last two years, having missed the playoffs in both.

New Orleans is undergoing a head coaching change this offseason and the new head coach may not like what Carr brings to the table. Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report listed every quarterback who is on the hot seat in 2025 and listed Carr at the top.

“Going into his age-34 term, Carr may not be a fit for a team that could go through a significant roster rebuild under a new coaching staff,” Moton wrote in a Jan. 15 column. “If the incoming coaches don’t think he’s doing enough to uplift his supporting cast, the Saints may have a quick hook for him in 2025.”

The normally durable Carr most seven games this season, which is easily the most he’s ever missed in his career. The Saints’ season may have looked a lot different had he not been injured.

Moving On From Carr Will Prove Difficult

When the Raiders cut Carr after the 2022 season, he still had a lot of interest around the league. Two seasons later, it’s hard to imagine there is still as much interest in the quarterback.

His numbers have been decent with the Saints having thrown 40 touchdowns to 13 interceptions in 27 games but the same issues that plagued him with the Raiders plague him now. Plus, if the Saints cut him outright, they’d take on a $50 million dead cap hit. He also made it clear that he wouldn’t take a pay cut after the season.

“I wouldn’t take a pay cut,” Carr said, via ESPN. “Yeah, I wouldn’t do that. Especially with what I put on tape. Would I restructure? Absolutely. I’ll always help the team that way. But there’s some things that you put out there that you earned. Even in some cases, it could be even worse, but I felt confident when I signed it that this would give the team the best flexibility at the time.”

Considering his contract, it’s unlikely a team will trade for him so the Saints may be stuck.

Would Raiders Consider Carr Reunion?

If the Saints do cut Carr, there should be some interest in him around the league. Depending on how the draft goes, the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets would likely give him a call.

However, one team that might be interesting is the Raiders. They don’t have a quarterback and are going to have a hard time drafting one. Carr at $40+ million a year is too much but if the Saints are paying him big money to not play for them, he can come in at the veteran minimum.

The Raiders could certainly do a lot worse than Carr and the decision-makers who moved on from him are long gone. It’s still unlikely but not impossible to imagine him coming back to the franchise that he holds all the passing records for.

WHODAT: Saint Running Back Alvin Kamara Gives Endorsement for his Preferred Next Saints Head Coach

Alvin Kamara has gone public with his choice for his team’s next head coach. It isn’t much of a surprise.

The New Orleans Saints running back took to X (formerly Twitter) and tweeted the following on Tuesday, ” Aite my vote for head coach rhyme wit Fizzi…”

It’s not much of a mystery who he’s endorsing. The only name that “rhyme wit Fizzi” is Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi.

Rizzi has been with the Saints since 2019, starting out as the special teams coordinator, then adding the assistant head coach title in 2022. He was named interim head coach on November 4 after the team fired Dennis Allen. New Orleans went 3-5 over the team’s final eight games to finish the season 5-12.

The Saints’ players seem to love the 54-year-old Rizzi, but his coaching tenure left much to be desired.

New Orleans has reportedly advanced New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, and Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to the second round of interviews. Rizzi was interviewed over the weekend.

In-person interviews were supposed to continue on Tuesday, but are delayed due to snow in New Orleans.