The New Orleans Saints suffered a devastating blow on the first day of training camp when starting defensive lineman Bryan Bresee is feared to have torn his ACL. Bresee will miss the entirety of the 2026 season several weeks before it even begins if the fear is confirmed. 

Bresee, the team’s first-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, started all 15 games he played in last year, recording 37 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and his third consecutive year with at least 30 pressures according to Pro Football Focus. At 6-5, 305 pounds, he is the prototypical 3-4 defensive end for the Saints’ scheme. His loss will be significant for New Orleans’ defense, which is why with a month until final cuts and 53-man roster cutdown day, the time to find a replacement is now.

Here are three available defensive linemen the Saints could sign to help fill the void.

DaQuan Jones

DaQuan Jones is the most appealing name on the market for New Orleans. He’s 34 years old and is entering his 13th year in the NFL, but he still played at a relatively high level for the Buffalo Bills last season. He registered 25 pressures and three sacks on 329 pass-rushing snaps for Buffalo, making 14 starts including both of the Bills’ playoff games.

At 6-4 and 320 pounds, Jones has the size and length to hold the 5-technique spot on at least a rotational basis at this stage of his career.

Khalen Saunders

A reunion with the former Saint may very well be on the table. Saunders played nearly 1,000 total snaps in his two years in New Orleans from 2023-24, spending most of his time as a B-gap defender. He registered 14 pressures in each of his two seasons with the Saints.

Saunders played for both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets last year. He turns 30 in August, but he at least has some familiarity with the franchise.

Christian Wilkins

Is this the time for the former first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins to make his way back to the league? Christian Wilkins signed a massive free-agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 but played only five games with the organization before suffering a Jones fracture in his foot. The injury required surgery, and then he incurred another foot injury during his rehab. Wilkins refused a second surgery; and combined with rumors regarding his conduct in the locker room, he was surprisingly released.

A report from before the 2026 NFL Draft via his agent David Mulugheta indicates Wilkins is interested in playing this season, but is still rehabbing a foot injury. If he’s able to pass a physical, he might be the Saints’ best option to replenish their depth at defensive tackle.

Christen Miller

But wait! There is a fourth path, and it involves giving NOLA’s second-round pick more snaps than the club originally intended.

Christen Miller was one of the best run-defending interior linemen in the SEC last season in college football, and receiving an uptick in reps during training camp would do wonders for his development in terms of progressing his pass-rushing plan.

The Saints drafted Miller to bolster their depth along the defensive line. What better time to turn to the newest member of the group?