Top Twenty Seasons by Saints' Defensive Ends

 By John Turney 

The New Orleans Saints have had plenty of accomplished defensive ends since the club originated in 1967, but few outside of Louisiana or the Saints' fan base know about them - and look no farther than the team's success for an explanation.

There wasn't much.

Not in the beginning, there wasn't. The Saints went 20 years without a winning record before breaking through to a 12-3 finish in the strike-truncated 1987 season. As a result, some outstanding individual achievements could ... and did ... fly under the radar.

But I'm here to correct that. To familiarize you with them, I examined individual production, postseason honors and the familiar "eye test." to compile a list of the 15  top seasons -- career years, if you will -- by Saints' defensive ends, with only one season per candidate allowed.

The result? Keep reading:

20. Andy Dorris, 1976—Prior to coming to the Saints he was the cocky kid that challenged Hall-of-Fame tackle Bob "Boomer" Brown by trying a swim move. Brown broke the cocky rookie's ribs with a shot with his casted thumb.

Lesson learned. Dorris was not the first cocky rookie to try that and not get away with it—just ask jack Youngblood who admits he did the same thing in his first preseason.

After his time with the Saints, in the late 1970s, Dorris was a very good player for Oilers teams that challenged the great Steelers teams for AFC Championships. His time in New Orleans was in between. No, 1976 was not a great season -- he was a part-time starter --  but his 31 tackles and 5-1/2 sacks (plus a forced fumble, pass deflected) were solid enough to round out the top twenty. 

It edges 1975 when he was a full-time starter and made 60 tackles but didn't get much pass rush not getting many hurries or any sacks. 

19. Renaldo Turnbull, 1990. A rookie who was a first-round draft by the Saints. He started six of 16 games was was used on passing downs in the other ten. He made 31 tackles but in limited snaps totaled 9 sacks forced one fumble and recovered one and had one pass deflected. 

Not big (248 pounds on a 6-foot-4 frame) but ran a 4.62 forty. Eventually became an All-pro at outside linebacker replacing Pat Swilling who signed a free agent contract with the Lions.

He made most of the All-Rookie teams. Like Dorris not a spectacular year, but good enough for the 19th best in team annals. 

18. Marcus Davenport, 2021—Davenport could never stay healthy. He was plenty talented but he never played a full season with the Saints. However in 2021, in eleven games to totaled 9 sacks and forced three fumbles. 

At 6-foot-6, 265 pounds and 4.58 speed he's one of the top athletes they have ever had at his position in the Big Easy. He was the 14th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft but other than 2021, he was mostly a disappointment. 

He's now playing as an edge rusher with the Vikings signing with Minnesota as a free agent in March of 2023.

17. Richard Neal, 1972—The second-round pick out of HBCU Southern in 1969 Neal had seven and made 55 tackles. He was also solid in 1971 when he had eight sacks and fell on four fumbles but he had a season-long ankle injury that year. On the positive side, he gutted through it and it impressed his coach J.D. Roberts. 

 He was noted for having a world of talent and the Saints probably expected more and was eventually sent to the Jets for a second- and third-round pick after they'd acquired Billy Newsome.

16. Billy Newsome, 1973—Newsome became a Saint in the deal that allowed the Colts to draft Bert Jones. Newsome, a fifth-round pick by Baltimore, had been effective in his three years there.

In 1973 he had made 58 tackles, 8 sacks and forced a pair of fumbles and deflected four passes. When he first reported to the Colts he was about 22-5 pounds but by the time he was playing his best ball, he'd put on weight and packed 250 pounds on his 6-foot-five frame.

Eventually, he was traded to the Jets where he started opposite Neal as their bookends on the defensive line in 1975.

15. Jim Wilks, 1984—The 6-foot-5, 266-pound Wilks played a few positions for the Saints, moving to nose tackle late in his career after serving as a 3-4 defensive end who played inside on passing downs.

He had twin seasons in 1983 and 1984 with 8 and 7-1/2 sacks respectively, but the latter season (1984) was the choice when he totaled 72 tackles, had two deflected passes and even blocked a kick.

14. Frank Warren, 1989—For the first seven seasons of his 14-year Saints' career, he was a third-down rusher. But in 1989 he was in his second season as a starter, and he responded with a career-high 9-1/2 sacks. He also had 50 tackles, four deflected passes and a career-best three sacks in a big Monday night win over Philadelphia in December -- with one of the sacks going for a safety.

At 285 pounds, Warren was heavier than Wilks and big for his rear. Even so, he was a little better pass rusher.

13. Elois Grooms, 1979—There wasn't much remarkable about Grooms before 1979. But with the Saints playing well and getting momentum that season, he had a career year. 

With 51 tackles and 12 sacks (tied for team lead), Grooms may be the least known of any player who had a double-digit year in sacks (per Pro Football Reference). Nevertheless, he was dominant in a game vs. Washington when he lived in the backfield, getting Joe Theismann all day.

A better athlete than advertised, he was described as "built like a tank but runs like a Ferrari." He built up his strength by hitting the weights ... in a weight room he built in his garage.

12. Darren Howard, 2000—Howard was a rookie in his best season. He seemed to make plays all year, benefitting from playing on a line with All-Pro La'Roi Glover and Pro Bowler Joe Johnson. His final numbers were 52 tackles, 11 sacks seven passes defended, and an interception he took to the house. 

Howard started his NFL career on a high note, as he was named Defensive Rookie of the Month for September. By year's end, he was All-Rookie and second in the AP Defensive Rookie-of-the-Year voting.

11. Charles Grant, 2004—Grant totaled 80 tackles and had a career-high 10-1/2 sacks in his top season when he also forced three fumbles, defended seven passes and had an interception.

The 6-foot-3, 282-pound former first-round pick out of Georgia ran a 4.67 40 and, as a testament to his athleticism, showed good strength at the 2002 NFL scouting combine.

10. Joe Owens, 1973—Originally a Saint, Owens played minor-league ball for a year before he was traded to the Chargers where he had a good season. However, the Chargers waived him the next year, and the Saints grabbed him. 

A backup his first two years, he became a full-time starter in 1973 and recorded 8 sacks, 8 run/pass stuffs (tackles behind the line of scrimmage), 49 tackles, three passes defended and a blocked kick. He even intercepted a John Hadl pass.

At 6-2 and 245 pounds, Owens was undersized, but he was tenacious and quick enough to beat NFL tackles from his right defensive-end spot. However, after his top year he became a designated pass rusher in 1974-75 when the Saints moved more to 3-4 fronts. Still, his 1973 season was really good, one of the top 10 performances by a Saints' defensive end.

The Saints lost him to the Seahawks in the 1976 expansion draft. Hank Stram left him unprotected mainly because of an ailing knee which was a primary cause he didn't make the club. Late in the year the Oilers signed him but he did little there.

9. Bob Pollard, 1974—Caught on some poor teams in his time on the Bayou, Pollard began as a defensive tackle. But as the Saints began to mix in more 3-4 fronts, he played defensive end in 1974 when he wasn't playing inside in passing situations.

He was remarkably consistent, but 1974 was the choice for his career year when he made 98 tackles -- a high for a defensive lineman -- had 9 sacks, forced a pair of fumbles and recovered two.

"Bob seldom has a bad game for us," said Saints' coach John North. "Week after week, he does an outstanding job for us."

Had he played for a winning team he'd have been invited to some Pro Bowls. 

8. Don Reese, 1979—A troubled soul who fought drug addiction, Reese ran afoul of the law -- even serving jail time -- and was released by Miami. But he gained a second chance with the Saints in 1978 and was solid a year later when he recorded 12 sacks.

Reese made 54 tackles, deflected five passes and forced a fumble as the Saints enjoyed their first non-losing season ever, going 8-8. That wouldn't have happened without the pass rush Reese and the defensive line provided -- one that set a team record for sacks with 46. 

7. Trey Hendrickson, 2020—Hendrickson was All-Pro (PFWA) in 2020 when he totaled 13 sacks and applied constant pressure on quarterbacks with 25 hits. He was a work-in-progress prior to his career year, but from the beginning, the club knew they had a winner in the third-round pick from Florida Atlantic.

"Trey was a good technician when we got him," Saints' defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen said prior to Hendrickson's second season. "(He needed) a little fine tuning. He needed to add some strength. Improve his lower-body explosiveness. If he stays healthy, Trey has a chance to be real good in this league."

Fortunately for the 6-foor-4, 270-pound defensive end, his career year happened to be a contract year, and he performed well enough to earn a four-year, $60-million contract with the Bengals in 2021.

6. Will Smith, 2009—The Saints' first-round choice in the 2004 NFL draft, the former Buckeye was unusually strong (30 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at the NFL combine) and plenty quick (4.60 in the 40). He showed promise early in his career, forcing six fumbles as a rookie and going to the Pro Bowl in 2006.

But it was 2009, the year after Smith signed a six-year, $70-million contract, that he was a big part of a Saints' defense that went to ... and won ... a Super Bowl. He had 13 sacks that year and an equally significant 26 quarterback hits (tied for second in the NFL).  He also deflected three passes, forced three fumbles and made 49 tackles.

Tragically, after his career was over, Smith was shot and killed in an altercation following a traffic accident.

5. Wayne Martin, 1992—Like others on this list, Martin was a base 3-4 end who became a nickel defensive tackle in four-man lines in passing situations. He totaled 70 tackles (53 solo) and 15-1/2 sacks in 1992, while deflecting five passes, forcing three fumbles and producing 5-1/2 run/pass stuffs.

He also had a seven-tackle, four-sack performance vs, Atlanta in December that earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

His sack total ranked fifth in the NFL, earning him second-team All-Pro (NEA) honors. But that was his sole post-season recognition. Earning All-Pro acclaim in that era was tough because of the competition, with Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Chris Doleman and Richard Dent -- all Hall of Famers -- eligible.

So Martin didn't gain as much notice as he deserved.

After the year, he was signed by Washington to a four-year $10.1-million offer sheet, but New Orleans matched the offer and kept him from leaving. The Saints were glad they did. A couple of years later when they switched to a 4-3 scheme, Martin moved inside and excelled at that position.

4. Bruce Clark, 1984—A Pro Bowler, Clark was a 3-4 defensive end in base defense but moved inside on passing downs. He made 90 tackles and had 8-1/2 sacks, with one interception, two passes defended two and 6-1/2 run/pass stuffs.

With a strong, low-to-the-ground build, Clark had good "base" with leverage that allowed him to be a solid all-around end. In fact, he was one of the most underrated defensive linemen of the 1980s, except to those who study the game.

Former coach Bum Phillips was one of them, calling Clark's 1984 season "as good a year as I've seen a defensive lineman have." Another was Bill Parcells, who two years later said Clark was "one of the five best players at his position in football."

3. Joe Johnson, 1998— Though Johnson had more sacks in 2000 when he went to his second Pro Bowl, 1998 is the pick. He made more plays vs. the run that season, yet still was a dynamite pass rusher.

Granted, he missed three games that year, but he still totaled 70 tackles, 12-1/2 stuffs, seven sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown. He was also voted to his first Pro Bowl.

A ruptured patellar tendon and back surgery sidelined him the following season, but he came back strong in 2000 and was voted AP Comeback Player of the Year. Alas, injury problems followed him to Green Bay after he signed a six-year-$33 million deal in 2002, and he was forced to retire after two seasons there. 

Like Clark and Martin, Johnson was an underrated player and the epitome of a classic Saints' defensive end -- someone who was more the total package than an edge rusher.

2. Doug Atkins, 1968—The old man was dominant in his penultimate NFL season and voted to the Pro Bowl ... though you wouldn't know it. A fractured knee cap kept him from playing, and it wasn't until 1979 that injured players voted to the team were credited with Pro Bowl recognition.

However, he was second-team All-Pro and All-Eastern Conference.

His 13 tackles against Cleveland on opening day earned him AP NFL Defensive Player of the Week, and he finished the season with 56 tackles and 12-1/2 sacks in 11 games. Atkins won a slew of local awards, including team MVP and PFWA (Wisconsin Chapter) winner of the Vince Lombardi Dedication Award.

At 39, the 6-foor-8 Atkins was still leaping blockers, throwing them to the outside and getting into quarterbacks' faces as he had the previous 15 seasons. His Saints' career year was the last of the great seasons in a Hall-of-Fame career.

1. Cam Jordan, 2017—A perennial Pro Bowler (named as recently as last year) and legitimate Hall-of-Fame candidate, Jordan is the complete defensive end, not just a pass rusher. He can play the run, outmaneuver tackles and even drop into coverage to disrupt shallow crossing routes by receivers.

Remarkably consistent, Jordan produced a handful of seasons that could be considered for his career year. In the final analysis, however, 2017 is the selection --mostly because he was arguably the best defensive end in the NFL, named first in one independent scouting firm's ranking of 4-3 defensive ends.

Additionally, he was first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler.

He applied consistent heat on quarterbacks all season, with Pro Football Focus crediting Jordan with 75 total pressures (a combination of sacks, quarterback knockdowns and hurries) and Football Outsiders putting the figure at 80. Either total is remarkable, ranking among the NFL leaders according to both analytics sites.

He also made 66 tackles, 13 sacks, deflected 11 passes and forced two fumbles. Jordan's 2017 season was the best of his career and the best by a defensive end in Saints history.