2025 Saints Midseason Awards: MVP, Breakout, Rookies of the Year

We've reached the midway point of the New Orleans Saints' 2025 season, and the bye week makes for a good time to evaluate the team. It's also a good time to hand out some midseason awards. It's not easy to find the bright spots on a 2-8 team, but that's why it's so important to try, too. With that in mind, our staff writers nominated their picks for this year's midseason awards. We'll circle back at the end of the year and see who is still standing, and whether our thinking has changed.

Most Valuable Player

Demario Davis. How impressive is it that Davis is leading the Saints defense in snaps played (645)? It's even more impressive that he leads the team in tackles, with 42 solo stops and 49 assists at midseason (91 total, third in the NFL). And he's doing it a couple of months before his 37th birthday. It isn't like Davis is chasing down guys from behind, either; he's averaging 3.6 yards' depth of tackle on rushing plays with more tackles in run defense than any other linebacker in pro football. We're seeing his age show here and there, but Davis is defying Father Time at least a little longer. -- John Sigler

Demario Davis. As much as this New Orleans Saints team has been hit or miss on defense, even all these years into his career, Demario Davis is still producing at an exceptional level. People speak of regression, and at times, the missed tackles are there, but everything else is spot on. He's on pace for another high tackle number and has already tied his 2024 total for tackles for loss. Year after year, he produces, and 2025 is no different. -- Jeremy Trottier

Chase Young. There isn't much to choose from here, but there is no doubting Young's impact over the last five games once he finally got into the lineup. In those five games, Young has 3 sacks, 6 QB hits, and 15 pressures with a fumble forced and 2 tipped passes. Young has been the closest thing to a consistent disruptive force this defense has and has noticeably improved his performance against the run. -- Bob Rose

Chris Olave. Many were frustrated with Olave’s play early in the year — particularly his inability to consistently deliver in key moments as WR1. Since then, he has silenced those critiques with a surge of strong performances. Coming off a 100-yard game last week, Olave’s rhythm with rookie Tyler Shough could elevated this entire offense going forward. He’s the clear-cut No. 1 option and the player who makes this roster go. -- Luke Loffredo

Offensive Player of the Year

Chris Olave. The last time Olave visited Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, he left the game on a stretcher. He returned a year later and picked up a season-high 104 yards through the air. Back-to-back concussions limited Olave to just eight games in 2024 and he's bounced back from it exceptionally well. Switching from Spencer Rattler to Tyler Shough seems to have reignited his presence as a deep threat in the offense. It isn't enough that Olave came back from a serious injury. He's playing at a high level again, too. I waffled between Olave and Alvin Kamara here (Kamara trails him by just 19 scrimmage yards) but Olave's four touchdowns made a difference. -- John Sigler

Taliese Fuaga. Tough call for this one, given how poor the Saints offense has been, and both tackles were in the running for this one. The major difference has been that Fuaga has just had 1/3rd the penalties, and despite a few missed games, has looked like a franchise cornerstone. -- Jeremy Trottier

Kelvin Banks Jr. There haven't been enough playmakers for the Saints offense and we haven't yet seen enough from Tyler Shough despite a promising start. Banks, the ninth overall choice in this year's draft, has flashed star potential. He's already an outstanding pass blocker, with his ability to take on one-on-one assignments and silence pass rushers only going to improve with experience. Banks is also a punishing run blocker, despite the team not running behind him often enough. At the very least, tackle is one of the few positions the Saints do not need after drafting Banks and Taliese Fuaga with their last two first round picks. -- Bob Rose

Chris Olave. No surprise here. Olave remains the only offensive player producing at a reliably high level every week. Nine of his ten games he’s gone for 50-plus receiving yards — a level of consistency that speaks volumes. When the Saints need a spark, he’s the one providing it. -- Luke Loffredo

Defensive Player of the Year

Chase Young. You could make a case for Young to take another category here, but nobody has been more transformative to Brandon Staley's defensive front as him. Pro Football Focus has some good metrics for grading pass rushers and they show Young is playing like a legitimate top-10 player at his position since making his return from an injury. He ranks 10th in pass rush win rate and 8th in pass rush productivity. He's played half as many games as the rest of the defense but already ranks third in sacks. It's early but this has been a strong return on his recent contract extension.-- John Sigler

Kool-Aid McKinstry. For the sake of parity, as the NFL does with its MVP, I will split MVP from OPOY/DPOY to give another player credit. Beyond Demario Davis, Kool-Aid McKinstry has been the next best on the defensive side of the ball, posting strong pass deflection numbers along with two interceptions. While he struggled early in the year, he has started to really improve recently, and is showcasing the talent that got him drafted in the early second round last offseason. -- Jeremy Trottier

Chase Young. It took five games for Young to finally get on the field this year. Once he did, he's been more disruptive than he's been at any other point of his six-year career. Young has 3 sacks, 6 QB hits, 15 pressures, a forced fumble, and 3 tipped passes so far. While he still needs to do a better job at finishing plays, Young has been the most consistent playmaker for the New Orleans defense. -- Bob Rose

Demario Davis. While he may not be the same sideline-to-sideline force he once was, Demario Davis continues to define consistency and leadership on this defense. Closing in on his 11th 100-tackle season, Davis remains the heartbeat of the unit. At age 36, he’s still making an impact and shows no signs of slowing down. -- Luke Loffredo

Breakout Player of the Year

Isaiah Stalbird. Stalbird was an afterthought when the Saints signed him as a rookie free agent out of South Dakota State last year, but he now leads the team in snaps played on special teams (208) and tackles in the kicking game (7). He's also earning a role on defense, having played a season-high 11 snaps last week against the Carolina Panthers. There were some questions about whether he'd be a safety or linebacker after weighing in at just 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds as a rookie. The truth is, he's played well everywhere the Saints have asked him to line up. -- John Sigler

Alontae Taylor. The closest thing to a breakout player for the Saints has been cornerback Alontae Taylor, who has really stepped up his game from previous seasons. His missed tackle rate is a massive improvement compared to 2024, as is his yards per completion allowed, dropping over five whole yards on average so far. He was mentioned at the trade deadline for a reason, and it should benefit New Orleans that he remains in the fold. -- Jeremy Trottier

Taliese Fuaga. Fuaga had an outstanding rookie year in 2024, so it might seem odd to call his 2025 a breakout season. Consider a few things though. Predominantly a right tackle in college at Oregon State, the Saints moved Fuaga at left tackle after selecting him in the first round. He dealt well with the learning curve of a new position and the jump to the NFL. Then, he had to do it again when New Orleans drafted left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr in the first round of this year's draft. Back at right tackle, Fuaga has also dealt with knee, back, and ankle injuries this season. Despite those issues and another position change, Fuaga has teamed with Banks to give New Orleans an outstanding pair of tackles. -- Bob Rose

Quincy Riley. As a fourth-round pick who began the season behind Isaac Yiadom, Quincey Riley has stepped in and played exceptionally well in his starts. Opposite Kool-Aid McKinstry, he’s held his own from the moment he took the field — and the lack of noise on his side is the strongest compliment a rookie corner can earn. A standout season so far for the Louisville product. -- Luke Loffredo

Most Improved Player

Juwan Johnson. It brings me no pleasure to say this, but Johnson has had a good year, even if he's the most frustrating player to watch each week on the team. Johnson is averaging the most receptions per game (4.3) and receiving yards per game (49.1) of his career while posting the second-best catch rate in six NFL seasons (71.7%). He's already tied last year's touchdowns total (3) and that 52-yard reception last week is the longest gain of his career. He'll be in the mix for a spot on the Pro Bowl Games roster at the end of the year. Maybe Tyler Shough can keep setting him up with big-play opportunities. -- John Sigler

Nathan Shepherd. This may be a somewhat odd selection to some, given that Shepherd has been minimally productive overall and has not drastically improved in that aspect compared to 2024. However, the big improvement seen with him has been removing negative plays from his game. After accruing 27 penalty yards and an offsetting unnecessary roughness, for which he was fined in 2024, he only has 10 penalty yards in 2025, none of which were egregious. Additionally, his run defense has improved drastically, and he is making strong plays. While there are many options for this award, Shepherd is deserving. -- Jeremy Trottier

Isaiah Stalbird. Remember that Stalbird is just a second-year undrafted player, and a converted college safety on top of that. Despite the learning curve, Stalbird is starting to carve out a role in the Saints defense as a pass game specialist linebacker. He's had a few pressures or pass breakups on very well-timed blitzes and is arguably the best athlete among the New Orleans linebackers. Stalbird has also had a strong impact on special teams for a unit that's otherwise struggled. He may never be a regular starter, but the athleticism and enthusiasm that Stalbird brings when on the field has been very noticeable. -- Bob Rose

Spencer Rattler. Even though he’s no longer the starter, Spencer Rattler has shown tremendous growth from last season. Being thrown into the fire behind a depleted lineup a year ago, his situation was far from ideal. His performance this year, especially early, showed improved decision-making, poise, and playmaking ability on offense. The progress from year one to year two was unmistakable. -- Luke Loffredo

Comeback Player of the Year

Taysom Hill. Let's get this out of the way first: Hill isn't the same athlete he was before he suffered a torn ACL with damage to several other ligaments in his knee. That may have been the case even if he didn't turn 35 in August. Still, he deserves props for taking on a difficult rehab and working to get back on the field while doing everything he could in the film room to be a good teammate and help out the younger guys on the team. Knee injuries like this have ended careers before. Even if this is it for Hill, seeing him out there wearing the No. 7 jersey and running for a first down is downright inspiring. -- John Sigler

Chris Olave. Picking Chris Olave here is pretty self-explanatory. After concussions set back his 2024 season, Olave has rapidly found his footing once again, especially in the team's most recent game with Rashid Shaheed gone. He has become a huge focal point of the offense once again and is a critical component in allowing Tyler Shough to develop. -- Jeremy Trottier

Cameron Jordan. Jordan's numbers had been way down the last two seasons and he's no longer the elite defender he once was in his prime. However, Jordan has also shown he's still got some good football left in 2025. His numbers aren't spectacular -- 3.5 sacks, 6 QB hits, 9 pressures, and 5 tackles for loss. This is also with Jordan in more of a part-time role and in a new position of stand-up edge rusher. While no longer the disruptive force he was in his Hall of Fame prime, Cam Jordan has still proven he can make plays and provide invaluable leadership for a mostly young defense. -- Bob Rose

Chase Young. While not necessarily returning from injury, Chase Young has flourished in this new defensive scheme under Brandon Staley. His impact has been immediate since returning from injury — generating pressure, playing disruptive football, and finishing at the quarterback. If he keeps this up, he could very well finish at if not close to a double digit sack season. -- Luke Loffredo

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Kelvin Banks Jr. New Orleans didn't waste any time getting Banks into the lineup at left tackle, and the rookie has more than held his own. He's only given up three sacks across his first ten starts while lining up against dangerous pass rushers like Josh Sweat (Week 1), Abdul Carter (Week 5), Jared Verse (Week 9), and both Bosa brothers (Nick in Week 2, Joey in Week 4). Right now, he's looking like a home-run first round draft pick, and he's got room to grow as a blocker in the run game. The Saints got a good one. -- John Sigler

Kelvin Banks Jr. The aforementioned Kelvin Banks Jr. has been very solid in 2025, and despite having six penalties to his name and a decent chunk of pressures allowed, he has held down a difficult position in his rookie year. He and Taliese Fuaga could be long-term blockers for whoever ends up being the quarterback of the future, and that is a great sign. -- Jeremy Trottier

Kelvin Banks Jr. I picked Shough for this award for the same reasons he was my Offensive Player of the Year. -- Bob Rose

Kelvin Banks Jr. Kelvin Banks has been everything the Saints hoped for and more. Stepping into a major role on the left side of the offensive line, he has provided stability along the offensive line, holding his ground against some of the best and displaying physicality at the point of attack. His ability to anchor the left side has given the team’s young quarterbacks a chance to thrive this season and his week-to-week consistency will continue to. -- Luke Loffredo

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Jonas Sanker. I really wanted to give Quincy Riley the nod here, but Sanker's presence in the lineup since Week 1 can't be overlooked. He's shown the same great instincts in run defense we saw in his college tape while making some big plays in pass coverage. Not just in terms of getting his hand on the ball, but knowing when to flip his hips and pass off his man to another zone to keep another opportunity from opening up for the offense. Sanker needs to clean up his tackling, and he's earning a long runway to do just that by doing so many other things well. -- John Sigler

Jonas Sanker. This one is a bit more difficult, given Quincy Riley has really started to pick up the pace recently and Danny Stutsman looks impressive, but Sanker has just been doing it all season long. His coverage has rapidly improved after a few blown plays in back-to-back weeks, and he has showcased impressive range up top. -- Jeremy Trottier

Quincy Riley. The popular choice might be Round 3 pick Jonas Sanker. While Sanker has had a strong rookie year, fourth-round choice Riley has arguably had a bigger impact for the defense. Since finally being inserted into the lineup, Riley has locked down the corner spot opposite Kool-Aid McKinstry. Riley has done well in one-on-one assignments with opposing receivers, allowing just 60% completion percentage when targeted. In the process, he has an interception while breaking up six passes and forcing a fumble in only six games of extensive action. -- Bob Rose

Jonas Sanker. Jonas Sanker has quickly made his presence known in this defense. His instincts and aggressiveness style of play downhill have translated immediately to the NFL level. Whether in run support or coverage, he plays exceptionally sound football which is a phenomenal sign for a young rookie. Sanker looks like a long-term building block in the secondary. -- Luke Loffredo

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2025 Saints Midseason Awards: MVP, Breakout, Rookies of the Year