Ranking the 9 biggest Saints additions this offseason

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The New Orleans Saints decided to continue their quest of a Super Bowl with this roster by bolstering their talent pool and even using future draft picks to do so.

Some surprise retirements made that job much harder than some expected, also some other key losses made new requirements for New Orleans to fill.

The Saints have done almost everything on the offseason checklist through bringing in key veterans, drafting to fill needs, and hiring good positional coaches. Here are the top nine additions the Saints made this offseason:

1 DB Tyrann Mathieu
Adding Mathieu in any year would be a fantastic move, but especially in a year where the Saints lost two major veteran safeties. Mathieu will be a major addition to the defense on and off the move and was the biggest needle mover this offseason.

2 WR Chris Olave
Olave was a much needing playmaker in the wide receiver room. Winston will now have three better options than he had last season, and one incredible deep threat to get the most out of his arm.

3 OL coach Doug Marrone
One of the most underrated moves of the offseason was the hiring of Doug Marrone. Marrone didn’t have the best time as a head coach, but his skills as an offensive line coach are undeniable. While the Saints have a fairly young and impressionable offensive line with pieces that need to be used correctly, this move could be a big difference maker.

4 LT Trevor Penning
Penning may not start week 1, but getting him to be the future of the left tackle position was a much needed move this season. The Saints currently do not have a first round pick this year, so getting a round one talent at the position will be unavailable a year from now.

5 WR Jarvis Landry
Getting Landry in the receiving room was also extremely important, but for a different reason than Olave. Landry offers you an extremely reliable target, that you know can get open and come down with the catch. Like Thomas and Olave, Landry can be put at all three receiver spots and produce.

6 S Marcus Maye
Maye was the first major move, and is a good player, but he will be missing the first couple games of the year with a DUI suspension. His immediate impact is lessened, of course. By the end of the season, he will be a big part of the defense. He is a versatile tool at safety that will hopefully be used well.

7 WR coach Kodi Burns
Burns has shown to be a great young coach that has made big impacts everywhere he has been. With Olave and the other young receivers towards the bottom of the depth chart, having a good WR coach is a necessity.

8 DB Alontae Taylor
While he caused the most head-scratching during the draft, Taylor has made it clear he intends to compete for playing time this year. If he doesn’t win the job immediately, he should be a great depth option at corner and make some moves on special teams. He also seems to fit in very well with the locker room already, and is known to be a great leader.

9 LB D'Marco Jackson
Jackson might be a much more important addition than people realized at first. With still no Kwon Alexander replacement signed, it is starting to look like Jackson may be a big contributor early on. Of the linebackers on the roster right now, Jackson’s play style and athleticism matches up the best with Alexander.