Five Saints that could be biggest beneficiaries of the Brandon Staley hire

By Ross Jackson

Now that the New Orleans Saints have officially hired Brandon Staley as their defensive coordinator, a major overhaul on that side of the ball is inevitable. While the changes may not make the Saints immediate contenders in 2025, they could maximize the potential of key players who fit Staley’s system.

CB Kool-Aid McKinstry

Staley runs a Vic Fangio-style defense. In the secondary that means a lot of pattern matching and transitioning from zone to man, depending upon the release of route runners at the line of scrimmage. It requires corners to play with discipline and within the rules of the scheme’s structure, both of which McMinstry has plenty of experience with thanks to his Alabama Crimson Tide days with former coach Nick Saban. 

McKinstry has improved throughout his rookie season, as he was quickly thrust into action. This shift of system could work very well in his favor as he lines up to be a second-year starter on the boundary. 

CB Alontae Taylor

From outside to inside and back again, Taylor has been impacted dramatically by constant changes in his role. Staley could provide stability for the disruptive cornerback, whose production declined after shifting back to the perimeter during the 2024 season.

He started strong in the slot, embracing his role. Staley’s system, as most of the Fangio variations do, includes the STAR role which requires a versatile and aggressive player to line up in the slot as a hybrid corner/safety. This is the role that maximized cornerback Jalen Ramsey in 2020. Taylor has already taken to social media to share his excitement about the Staley hire. He could be one of the players that benefits most from the addition. 

EDGE Carl Granderson

There have been some whispers about Saints defense ends looking at slimming down over the offseason. Whether or not Granderson is in that number remains to be seen, but if so, he could be a solid standup pass rusher off the edge in a three-man front. 

While the Wyoming product plays at around 270 pounds now, he finished his college career playing in the 240 range. Should he get the chance to slim down again and play a little lighter than he has, Granderson’s athleticism could be a major asset in the coming shift of pass rusher profile. 

DE Isaiah Foskey

Much like Granderson, Foskey is a perfect prototype for a potential standup rusher in Staley’s system. Foskey played the “vyper” role in Notre Dame’s defense and piled on 22 sacks over his final two years. That production led him to a second-round selection in New Orleans. But he hasn’t been able to play a similar role to that, which made him draftable since he’s been a Saint.

Foskey could be the next defensive player that walks after a rookie contract, just to end up taking off elsewhere. Or, if Staley’s system allots him a role that takes his game to the next level, maybe New Orleans can finally avoid that fate. 

S Tyrann Mathieu

The veteran safety says he wants to play for another two seasons and would love to play both of them in New Orleans. One element that may allow that to happen is being able to play more to his strengths. Over the last few years, Mathieu has been mostly utilized away from the line of scrimmage. 

Fangio-like systems tend to lean in on Cover-6 coverage looks that are often run out of nickel formations. With five defensive backs, that leaves only six defenders in the box. A safety with the ability to crash downhill in the run game is massively beneficial in changing the numbers. That should play to Mathieu’s strength.