The New Orleans Saints tied the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-17 on Sunday at Caesars Superdome in the home opener, and once again, a young linebacker made his presence felt in a crowded room.
The week’s standout player did a little bit of everything and finally flashed the potential he showed during his time as a Texas Longhorn. The breakout player from the Saints’ Week 2 preseason draw with the Jaguars is LB Jaylan Ford.
The 2024 fifth-round pick absolutely balled out on Sunday, recording three total tackles,
two pressures, two stops and an incredibly athletic interception off veteran QB Nick Mullens. Ford posted a 90.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, along with a 91.7 coverage grade for the day. A performance like this was essential for the 23-year-old, who struggled to stay healthy during his rookie season.
It also helps that two of his former college coaches are now on the Saints’ defensive staff—defensive line coach Bo Davis and defensive backs coach Terry Joseph—and that the team drafted his former Longhorns teammate, DT Vernon Broughton, in the third round of this year’s draft. Those factors likely added to his motivation for a bounce-back season in year two.
This is the second straight week the young linebacker corps has exceeded expectations. With rookie fourth-round LB Danny Stutsman continuing to live up to the hype, and last week’s breakout player in second-year LB Isaiah Stalbird delivering another promising performance, confidence is growing in the depth behind Demario Davis and Pete Werner in the linebacker room.
Honorable Mentions:
- WR Mason Tipton: After how dominant the second-year wideout from Yale has been in training camp, it felt almost disrespectful to label him a breakout player. However, that doesn’t mean his performance should go unnoticed, as he led the Saints with six receptions for 100 yards (16.7 yards per catch), including a 45-yard bomb from Spencer Rattler and a 40-plus-yard drawn pass interference penalty. “We just think the world of him. He’s progressing in an awesome way,” said HC Kellen Moore on Tipton.
- CB Rejzohn Wright: The third-year defensive back out of Oregon State earned a 92.1 overall grade for his performance against the Jaguars on Sunday, including a 91.4 coverage grade, according to PFF. He recorded two pass breakups on three targets over 10 total coverage snaps.
- S Jonas Sanker: The third-round rookie out of Virginia was the hero of the day, making the game-saving interception to end the contest in a draw. He recorded five total tackles, two stops and the interception, earning an 85.5 tackling grade from PFF.
