NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints roster is loaded with enough talent to get to a Super Bowl this season, but one area of concern heading into training camp is the interior defensive line.
The Saints have been addressing that position the entire offseason, including Wednesday. According to the NFL Network, the team added lineman Ziggy Hood. Hood is a 10-year veteran and has appeared in 12 games combined last year with the Washington Redskins and the Miami Dolphins.
Hood is a former first-round pick and has proved that he can play in the league, but does he still have enough left to be a contributor for the black and gold?
And at this point, the Saints are looking for some proven depth at the position.
Sheldon Rankins is on the "physically unable to perform" list. He's out for at least the first half of the season.
David Onyemata will serve a one-game suspension when the season starts.
So who will step up in the spots on the D-Line?
I think Malcolm Brown will make an impact. He did so with the New England Patriots, contributing to a winning Super Bowl team last year. He is just entering his fifth season in the NFL.
I also expect Onyemata and Taylor Stallworth will have a breakout season. Onyemata will get a chance to be the lead dog with Rankins sidelined and the other DT that played with him last season - Tyeler Davison - is with the Atlanta Falcons. Pro Football Focus likes that fourth-year player from Canada, grading him out at 83.5. That grade puts him as a top 20 player on the defensive interior line.
Last year, Stallworth got more playing time in the second half of the season and the playoffs. And according to Pro Football Focus, Stallworth had the best run defense grade and fourth-best overall grade among all defensive linemen that played in last year's postseason.
These two could be the breakout guys on the defensive line and could keep this Saints defensive line trending upwards.
Last year the Saints had the second-best run defense in the NFL and tied for fifth in the league in sacks. It always starts with that push upfront. That's why it was imperative for the Saints to address the interior of the line.
It will have a different look this season, and when camp gets underway on Friday, the focus will be on developing the depth and making sure the line doesn't skip a beat.
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WWL-TV reporter Ricardo LeCompte can be reached at RLecompte@wwltv.com; Follow him on Twitter at @rlecomptetv