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As the New Orleans Saints’ transition between the Sean Payton era and the Dennis Allen era, there also rests the need to get this team back over the hump and into the playoffs once again. This Saints roster definitely appears to have the talent, albeit with a few holes still left to fill, be it through free agency, the waiver wire, or trades.
However, being a playoff team most of the time requires getting production from players who aren’t household names. The entire roster must contribute, and the unheralded are just as useful as the superstars. With a team that just narrowly missed the playoffs in 2021, the Saints have quite a few players who probably don't get as much national attention as they deserve. That’s who we’re taking a look at today, as we check out two hidden gems on the Saints roster ahead of the 2022 NFL season.
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Hidden gems on Saints 2022 Roster
1. Pete Werner, Linebacker
Werner came into the Big Easy as a rookie out of Ohio State last year and showed the kind of promise that got him drafted in the second round. Playing in 15 games and starting eight, Werner racked up an impressive 62 total tackles, and with gaps appearing in the linebacker spot, such as the departure of Kwon Alexander, Werner looks set for a bigger role in his second season in New Orleans.
If the former Buckeye can maintain his good form from last year, you may just be hearing about him as one of the best young linebackers in the entire league come this time next year, and I'm sure the Saints will be more than happy if that's the case.
As the partner with another often underrated Saint, Demario Davis, Werner is sure to be able to grow as a player in 2022, and that likely means it will translate well to the stat sheet.
2. CJ Gardner-Johnson, Cornerback
You might be asking yourself how one of the best nickel corners in the game winds up as a hidden gem, but ask yourself, how much discussion have you heard around CJ Gardner-Johnson over the past year? Probably very little, and that's a shame because he really is one of the best at his position in the NFL.
Gardner-Johnson has been in the league since 2019 and has quietly done his development into what he is today, and 2022 appears to be a promising season on the horizon for the former Florida Gator. In 2021, Gardner-Johnson tallied 46 total tackles in 12 games, missing a few due to injury, and also put up three interceptions and two sacks, showing his versatility in Dennis Allen's defense. If you need an idea of how important he is to this Saints team, just know that in games Gardner-Johnson played the entirety of, the Saints went 9-3. In games where he either played very little or not at all, the Saints were 0-5.
His versatility at multiple levels of the secondary, be it at the nickel spot, as a deeper corner almost bordering on safety, or even close to the line of scrimmage on blitzes, Gardner-Johnson is a true menace to opposing offenses, even going so far as allowing a paltry 62% completion percentage when targeted. That kind of production puts fear in quarterbacks, which can take very dangerous receivers out of the game entirely. If he's able to keep it up and keep growing as a player, he should have no business being on a list like this in 2023.
