The Saints are 2-3, and when a preseason Super Bowl favorite is 2-3, there is often more than one reason why.
Maybe their increased focus on the running game -- 65 more rushing attempts by running backs or fullbacks than at this point last season -- is difficult to sustain without running back Mark Ingram. Maybe the passing defense, ranked No. 26 in football, truly is that porous.
But maybe the Saints are simply lacking some young energy.
After New Orleans cut fourth-round pick Khairi Fortt on Monday, they managed to shave their six-man draft class down to just four. Of those four, as NOLA.com points out, only their first-round pick, Brandin Cooks, has taken any significant non-special teams snaps. Second-round pick Stanley Jean-Baptiste and fifth-rounders Vinnie Sunseri and Ronald Powell are the other three draft selections on the Saints' active roster.
The Saints have had some great drafts over the past five years. Unearthing Jimmy Graham in the third round of any draft should earn a general manager a pass for years to come.
But as injuries mount, the need for quality depth will undoubtedly surface later on in the season when the Saints need it the most. Bouncing back from 2-3 might not be as easy without it.
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