The Saints want Isaiah Foskey to 'cut it loose,' but will the pass rusher earn playing time? (2024)

Here’s what a successful upcoming season for Isaiah Foskey would look like, according to Isaiah Foskey:

• Double-digit sacks
• “A lot” of tackles for loss
• "A lot” of total tackles

Those are big goals for a defensive end who barely saw the field a year ago.

None of them will be possible, either, if the New Orleans Saints defensive end doesn’t start to “cut it loose” as his coaches have urged him to do this offseason.

As a rookie last season, Foskey’s tentativeness was maybe the biggest reason he played only 83 snaps in 2023. When the second rounder did take the field, coaches saw a hesitant player who spent too much time thinking about the play as it was happening rather than one who burst off the snap. And looking back at it now, Foskey agrees with the evaluation: There were times when the defensive line said he was more worried about making a mistake than running full speed, he said.

So then, for Foskey to cut it loose, his play will have to keep looking a lot like it did Wednesday: During a red zone drill, the pocket quickly collapsed on quarterback Derek Carr – forcing the starter to rush a throw that was tipped twice before it was intercepted in the end zone by linebacker Demario Davis. Foskey, who beat his man around the corner, was the driving force behind the play breaking down as quick as it did.

If contact was permitted in practice, Carr wouldn’t have thrown an interception at all. Foskey would have come up with the sack.

“You can tell that’s been a point of emphasis for him,” defensive line coach Todd Grantham said. “When you look at a lot of rookie defensive ends – you can look at Cam (Jordan) and other guys – first year, they developed and grew and they had a much better second year. So I fully expect Foskey to be that kind of guy.”

It may not be that simple, of course. Grantham is right in that there are countless examples of players making the classic Year 2 leap, including on the roster with Jordan – who had one sack as a rookie to eight the following year. But Foskey’s first-year numbers still give plenty of pause.

Consider this: Since 2012, according to Stathead, there have been 131 defensive linemen who have been drafted in the first or second round and taken at least one snap as a rookie. Among them, Foskey’s 83 snaps were the third-lowest of the group – ahead of only former Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and Washington Commanders defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis. Foskey played in 10 games to Nkemdiche’s five and Mathis’ one.

To be fair, Foskey’s rookie year was hampered by injury as he missed five of the last seven games because of a pulled quad. But before that, when the Saints badly needed pass rushing help last year, Foskey found himself buried on the depth chart. The Notre Dame product said he never felt like he had a “good grasp” on the NFL, adding he was in “his own head.” He finished with nine tackles and a half sack.

If Foskey is going to crack the rotation, and record the stats he wants to record, he’ll presumably have to leap at least somebody in the team’s pass rush rotation. The Saints have a crowded defensive end room that also features Jordan, starter Carl Granderson, free-agent addition Chase Young and former first rounder Payton Turner.

This offseason, though, has provided a welcome opportunity for Foskey. Players like Jordan (ankle) and Young (neck) are rehabbing from injuries, allowing the 23-year-old to get first-team reps. Foskey has taken advantage and displayed a speed off the edge that his coaches had been wanting to see.

“Now it’s about getting it consistent,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. “That’s kind of where we’re out now. I’ve seen it a couple times and now how do we get it more consistent, and that’s kind of what we’re looking at.”

Just as important, though, Foskey is building confidence with how he’s performing in practice. At Foskey’s best, Grantham said Foskey is the type of explosive rusher who has good strength and can control opposing linemen with his hands.

“I just need to trust I can do what I can do,” Foskey said. “I know I’m strong enough. I know I’m fast enough. And just trust it.”