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Few teams in football are as consistent as the New Orleans Saints. In three straight seasons, and four of their last five, the Saints have finished with a 7-9 record.
Though they find little issue with crafting one of the game's most explosive offenses, led by all-world gunslinger Drew Brees, the art of fielding a solid defensive team still eludes them.
Last season, the Saints fielded the NFL's 27th-ranked total defense, the league's worst defense against the pass, and allowed opponents to convert 43.3 percent of their third-down attempts, the game's fourth-worst mark.
To that end, much of this summer's training camp will be focused on replenishing that side of the football.
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Here are the position battles we'll keep a close eye on:
Linebacker
The state of the rotation behind the line, at any position, is one of the most pressing questions facing defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and new linebackers coach Mike Nolan. Luckily, the team has no shortage of options here, with up to 10 players contending for attention as prospective fixtures.
To a large extent, these decisions will depend on what alignment Allen will eventually run, a 3-4 or a 4-3, though the team did run three-safety sets during minicamp, a trend that could continue again this summer. A.J. Klein, the 25-year-old former Panther who signed with New Orleans in March, and Craig Robertson, the 29-year-old entering his second season with the team, will compete to win starting jobs.
Robertson gives them proven versatility and production, last season starting seven games in the middle, seven more on the weak side, and one to the strong side, recording a team-high 115 tackles. Klein got a taste of starting experience last season in Carolina after Luke Kuechly's injury, grabbing 16 tackles and a sack in seven games.
Stephone Anthony has experience in Allen's playbook, but the former first-round pick is coming off a knee injury that prematurely ended his 2016 campaign a year after leading all rookies in tackles.
Finally, Alex Anzalone, a versatile and athletic Florida product, will look to make an impact in his rookie season.
Cornerback
The two starting positions would seem to be occupied already, by third-year Delvin Breaux and 2017 No. 11 overall pick Marshon Lattimore. Breaux has played in the last 22 contests in which he was healthy (though succumbed to a season-ending shoulder injury in 2016), but the Saints have fared poorly against the pass with him in the rotation. Lattimore, of course, is unproven, but comes with a reputation for speed and making plays on the ball.
Aside from these two presumed starters, a pair of backup contenders could emerge this summer. P.J. Williams, a third-round pick two years ago, saw time as a starter last season but played just 82 snaps before being lost to a severe concussion in Week 2. Damian Swann, a fifth-rounder from two years ago, is still looking to get on the field. Williams and Swann were featured a lot with the Saints' first-team reps during minicamp, an indication of their stature in coaches' minds.
The Saints are in something of a unique position here. They don't have any obvious Day 1 starters to put at either corner but have a variety of young options looking to prove themselves, and are looking to basically start again in a secondary that last season intercepted the NFL's third-fewest passes (nine), surrendered the sixth-most touchdowns (27), and allowed the most yards overall in the air (4,380). Answers are needed.
Defensive End
For a few years now, the Saints have been trying to find the right compliment to Cameron Jordan, who last season dominated competition with 10 sacks, and now Nick Fairley's very career is in jeopardy after learning of a heart ailment this offseason.
A pair of pass rushers will vie for attention: Alex Okafor, who joined up as a free agent this year and who has already been showcased in OTAs and minicamp as the team's primary option opposite Jordan; and Trey Hendrickson, a third-round pick from Florida Atlantic, a raw, physical pass rusher but a liability in stopping the run.
Two players who suffered injuries last season, Hau'oli Kikaha (a third ACL tear) and Obum Gwacham (ankle sprain), will attempt to reprise their places on the roster, both most likely for a backup position. Darryl Tapp, a versatile 32-year-old who re-signed to a one-year deal this year, can play a little at both end and tackle.
But Okafor (6-foot-4, 261 pounds) is the favorite in this contest, coming from Arizona with a history as a solid edge rusher from the linebacker position, grabbing 13.5 career sacks in four seasons and finishing as the NFL's fourth-best at pressuring quarterbacks, according to PFF, bringing heat on the passer on 18 percent of his rushes.
