The New Orleans Saints will kick off their 2025 regular season just 40 days from today. They’ll do it at home against the Arizona Cardinals under new head coach Kellen Moore. Wearing No. 40 for the Saints at the moment is rookie edge rusher Fadil Diggs. Our Saints Player of the Day, here’s a closer look at Diggs as he tries to become the 18th player to wear No. 40 during the regular season in team history.

Name (age): Fadil Diggs (23)

Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 257 pounds

Relative Athletic Score: 9.30

Drafted: Round 7, 254 overall in 2025 (Saints)

2025 salary cap hit: $865,418

An offensive and defensive standout at Woodrow Wilson High School in New Jersey, Diggs was the Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year as a senior. The Texas A&M Aggies won the battle for the four-star recruit. However, Diggs saw little playing time in 2020 or 2021. He’d work his way into more reps in 2022, managing 3 sacks and 5 tackles for loss. He’d increase that production with 11 stops for loss and 4 sacks in 2023, but would transfer to Syracuse at year’s conclusion. Diggs blossomed for the Orange, leading Syracuse with 7.5 sacks, 14 stops for loss, and 3 forced fumbles.

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The Saints finally grabbed Diggs off the NFL draft board at pick No. 254, just three selections before the end of the draft. Despite his late draft status, Diggs could grab a legitimate role in the New Orleans defense. New defensive coordinator Brandon Staley is expected to employ more 3-4 concepts, meaning the Saints will need more athletic rushers along the edge. New Orleans got only 17 combined sacks and 27 tackles for loss from their edge rushers/defensive ends last season. Carl Granderson and Chase Young return as the probable stand-up rushers for Staley, but there is no proven skill behind them for depth.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 257 pounds, speed off the edge is a Diggs strength. Diggs will compete against undrafted rookie Jasheen Davis, Jonah Williams, and disappointing 2023 Round 2 draft pick Isaiah Foskey for reps at the position. If he can improve his instincts against the run and expand his pass rush moves to create consistent pressure, Fadil Diggs could be a late draft steal for a Saints defense desperately seeking a young and disruptive force.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Fadil Diggs is the Saints Player of Day 40