Saints' trade addition immediately puts pressure on himself to perform for New Orleans, and that's a good thing

To kick off their free agency sequence, the New Orleans Saints made a trade, rather than a big signing. They dealt day three draft capital to the New England Patriots in exchange for interior defensive lineman Davon Godchaux.  He projects as a nose tackle option for the Saints' defense under Brandon Staley next season. The Saints […]

Adam Holt NFL News Writer
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To kick off their free agency sequence, the New Orleans Saints made a trade, rather than a big signing. They dealt day three draft capital to the New England Patriots in exchange for interior defensive lineman Davon Godchaux. 

He projects as a nose tackle option for the Saints' defense under Brandon Staley next season. The Saints traded a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Pats in exchange for Godchaux, according to Adam Schefter.

Godchaux has shown that he can be amongst the best run stoppers in the entire NFL in the near past. For New Orleans, their run defense has struggled mightily over the past two seasons, so adding a player of this caliber in that department for such a cheap price is a smart move. — A to Z Sports

On Monday, Godchaux spoke to the media for the first time as a member of the Saints organization. 

Godchaux talks Saints trade

Godchaux said that the Saints were one of the most aggressive teams in pursuit of a trade for him. The former LSU Tiger is excited to do whatever he can to help the team win.

Additionally, he put a bit of pressure on himself to perform out of the gates for the sense, against the run. That part of his game is why they went after him, and Godchaux called himself a "dominant run player" and "dirty-work player" during his intro press conference for the team. 

The Saints allowed 2,404 (second-worst in NFL) rushing yards on 4.9 YPC last season. 

With that, this sort of urgency to make an impact is a great sign for his time with New Orleans. They needed more of that over the past two seasons along their defensive line. Godchaux is going to bring energy and effort to that unit immediately. 

 "Happy to be here. It's an honor." — Godchaux on playing for New Orleans

The former Patriot also praised Bill Belichick for his impact on his development and overall knowledge of the game. He even called him a genius. 

All in all, Godchaux had a calm and collective confidence to him during his first media availability for New Orleans. The Louisiana native is ready to get to work for the black and gold, alongside other local legends like Tyrann Mathieu and Justin Reid.