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Age: 26
Experience: 38 games in 4 years (plus 6 playoff games)
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 324 lbs
Relative Athletic Score: 7.59
2022 Defensive Snapshots: 511 (39.5% vs. running, 58.7% vs. passing), 26.9 snaps per game
PFF run defense class: 55.8
PFF passed rush rate: 57.2
PFF pass rush win rate (PR productivity): 6.7 (4.0)
PFF average depth of tackle vs. run: 3.1
Contract: Three years, $14.5 million ($4.8 million annually), guarantees TBD
Saunders played a minor role for the Chiefs during his first three years, posting career highs last season in defensive snaps (511), quarterback pressures (18), tackles (30), and PFF defensive stops (22). He’s a regular who bids more against the run than the pass, so it’s odd to see Kansas City play so many passes against him last year. The Saints can better dictate that by adding more depth to the line and gently turning it on and off the field. But Saunders is a great athlete for his size and he should be doing a lot to help the New Orleans defense win at the line of scrimmage. He makes a lot of fuss and was surprisingly effective at corralling mobile quarterbacks who wanted to play outside the pocket.