You could argue the New Orleans Saints defense overperformed in 2025, and much of that would be due to the young players shouldering big responsibilities early on. They're a group that could only improve with more time and more reps, potentially giving Brandon Staley's defense something to build around on the back end.
And we ended up having too many options to choose from in our final entry for the Saints team awards for 2025. Two first-year defensive backs ended up splitting the vote for Defensive Rookie of the Year:
Quincy Riley
The New Orleans defense is loaded with young potential stars, including three rookies that played vital roles. Cornerback Quincy Riley, a fourth round choice, was the best of the three. Riley took on a bigger role in Week 5 and was instrumental in helping the Saints to rank fourth against the pass. Opposite Kool-Aid McKinstry, Riley had an interception and broke up 10 passes while allowing just 59% completion percentage when targeted. -- Bob Rose
This was a close call between Jonas Sanker and Quincey Riley, but Riley gets the nod. Holding down the CB2 role all season, he proved to be far more than just a serviceable starter and consistently rose to the challenge. -- Luke Loffredo
Jonas Sanker
The Saints look to have hit some home runs in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Sanker in one of them. He was thrust into a difficult position following an incredible career run by Tyrann Mathieu. Sanker produced, registering 80 tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. -- Crissy Froyd
Not too many rookies to choose from defensively this year, but Jonas Sanker did have a promising start to his career. While he will need to cut the big plays allowed out of his game, he started practically his whole rookie season, so there will be time to improve. -- Jeremy Trottier
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints Defensive Rookie of 2025: Quincy Riley, Jonas Sanker split vote