The New Orleans Saints have gotten off to a 2-1 start in the 2023 season in large part because of their defense. The Saints are riding a historic stretch defensively as they have held their opponents to 20 points or fewer in 11 straight games.
That is the longest stretch in franchise history and ties the New England Patriots in 2018-19 for the longest stretch of the last 25 years. This is a dominant group who is doing everything they can to keep the team afloat as the offensive figures things out.
New Orleans is currently ranked 25th in points and 20th in yardage gained offensively while ranking sixth in points allowed and 10th in yardage surrendered. They are seventh in the NFL with an overall defensive grade of 76.9 per PFF. That is making up for an underwhelming offense, which is ranked 18th with a grade of 67.3.
The Saints are pretty solid across all levels of their defense, but if they could choose one area to upgrade, it would likely be their secondary. Finding an upgrade alongside Marshon Lattimore would take this defense to another level.
That is why one former NFL executive who spoke to NFL Analysis Network believes that the team should be looking for cornerback help ahead of the deadline. The executive thinks the Saints should be thinking big as well, naming a star player as a trade target.
“The Saints could be an intriguing team to watch at the trade deadline. A cornerback would make sense. How about a massive swing for Broncos rising star Patrick Surtain II? He’s my number one target for New Orleans.”
If New Orleans was able to acquire Patrick Surtain II from the Denver Broncos, they would have the best cornerback tandem in the NFL. Good luck moving the ball through the air against him and Lattimore on the perimeter.
At 0-3, the Denver Broncos have to be considering all options. Falling to 0-4 would likely signal a full-on teardown occurring as Sean Payton would look to bring in more players that fit the style of play he wants to use. If any kind of rebuild is on the horizon, is paying a cornerback, even a star in Surtain, a good allocation of their money?
It is a decision that the Broncos could have to make in the coming weeks. If they decide that Surtain isn’t someone they can keep long-term and want to cash in and acquire more assets, the Saints are a team that would make a lot of sense as a landing spot for him.
