Saints Disrespected by ESPN's Early 2022 NFL Power Rankings

The New Orleans Saints posted posted a winning record for the fifth straight season in 2021 and barely missed out on the NFL Playoffs. They head into the offseason looking to put the finishing touches on a solid roster, yet are being disrespected by ESPN's early 2022 NFL power rankings.

Saints Power Rankings

The Saints check in at No. 22 overall and trail four teams that finished with losing records this past season. New Orleans not even being in range of a Wild Card spot seems like a stretch. The dominance this team possesses on defense more than makes up for any question marks on offense.

New Orleans posted the third-best total DVOA rating in the NFL in 2021 and sent three players on that side of the ball to the Pro Bowl. Veteran defensive lineman Cameron Jordan (12.5 sacks & 6 pass breakups) guided a defense that allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game (93.5).

New head coach Dennis Allen will need to make a decision as far as who will be the Saints' starting quarterback. New Orleans has been adamant that there is no plan of going into a rebuilding mode, though. That means the idea of making a trade or signing a free agent is certainly a possibility.

With Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady retiring, the NFC South division is completely up for grabs. The Saints have an opportunity to fly under the radar and sneak into the playoffs next season. New Orleans has odds set at +3400 to win Super Bowl 57 (20th), according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk free for up to $1,000!

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.