During the 2018 NFL season, the New Orleans Saints got quite a surprise on the defensive side of the football. In 2017, the play of the linebackers was atrocious. Due to injury and mediocre performance the group was the shortcoming of an otherwise stellar defense.

Players were targeted, and others returned from injury during the 2018 offseason that turned this group into one of the best LB cores in the league. Now, with the 2019 season just over 50 days away, the Saints hope the group can continue to dominate and become yet another anchor of this daunting defense.

The 2017 Season

Murmurs and whispers through training camp spoke of a solid group of linebackers that would help stop the bleeding of a historically weak Saints defense. After drafting Alex Anzalone from the Florida Gators in the 2017 draft and signing Manti Te’o and A.J. Klein in free agency, the group looked like it had potential.

To his credit, Anzalone did well in his first four games but would go down during week four against the Miami Dolphins with a right shoulder injury and be lost for the season. But besides that, the group left much to be desired.

Klein, who was thought to be the leader of the group, seemed to be frequently out of place pre-snap and overcommitted on plays. Craig Robertson would step in for Anzalone. However, after leading the team with 88 tackles in 2016, his effectiveness to stop the run dropped substantially. Te’o performed the best throughout the season earning a 70.3 defensive rating according to PFF.

In the end, the group became a liability for the defense throughout the 2017 season. With the signals loud and clear, the front off made changes in the offseason.

The New Orleans Saints LB transformation

For starters, it was clear to everyone Klein was not suited for the MLB position. So the Saints went out and signed former New York Jet and Cleveland Brown Demario Davis to man the middle. Davis was a top ten overall linebacker in 2017 according to PFF, and there was no doubt he came to the team to take over.

On top of that, Anzalone was back, and with his promising start last season, many were hopeful for a repeat performance. With Davis controlling the middle, Klein became much more effective as well. The entire unit played admirably throughout the 2018 campaign. The trio on Davis, Anzalone, and Klein would play all 18 games and become one of the better LB groups in the NFL.

Klein would improve his defensive rating from 48.5 in 2017 to 70.5 in 2018, easily making him the most improved player on the Saints defense. In fact, all the linebackers who played for New Orleans in 2017 would improve their rating during the 2018 season. Te’o would still lead the group in overall defensive rating…..but that’s beside the point.

Becoming one of the more dependable areas of the team throughout 2018, the LBs continually made plays to support the overall success of the franchise. They provided crucial defensive stops and turnovers helping to swing the momentum in some tight games.

Alex Anzalone snatches Goff’s pass out of the air for a huge INT! #LARvsNO pic.twitter.com/AZ25jw6KnN — New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 4, 2018

Hopes and Prayers

With the dramatic improvement, the Saints are hoping for sustained success at the position when it comes to the upcoming season and beyond. The front office chose to address other needs in the offseason due to tight salary cap space and few draft resources. The team did draft Kaden Elliss from Idaho in the seventh round and signed Chase Hansen of Utah afterward.

After the strong performance from Davis, Anzalone, and Klein, barring injury, the group should have another great year. Robertson will also be back but more as a special teams contributor. If an injury does strike the Saints might have to pick someone up. But, with Te’o still a free agent and seemingly no one knocking on the door one would think that would be an easy patch job.

Either way, the group should play lights out again this year, helping support a rushing defense that was ranked 2nd in the NFL last season.