Khalen

Saunders

Saunders has been dealing with a back injury and the Saints will determine his status “early in the day” ahead of their Week 7 Thursday Night matchup against the Broncos. He has played in three games for the Saints this season, most notably intercepting Patrick Mahomes in the end zone and returning it for 37 yards in Week 5. Saunders is a rotational tackle the Saints will lose for stuffing the Broncos run game if he cannot play.

The Chiefs drafted Saunders in the third round in 2019 but never managed to develop him beyond a rotational player. He did, however, have a career year in 2022, totaling 3.5 sacks and a trio of TFLs. The Saints’ defensive line has been ravaged by departing free agents this offseason. Saunders hasn’t produced at the level of their losses so far, but he is a solid upside bet for a team in need of talent in the trenches.

The Chiefs’ current 53-man roster is amongst the most healthy in the league.

Saunders played eight snaps in a rotational role before going down. He doesn’t need surgery but is likely headed to IR.

A four-year starter at Western Illinois, Saunders recorded 18 sacks, 34.5 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles during his college career, earning first-team FCS All-American honors as a senior. He should fill a rotational role as a rookie but has the long-term upside to be a quality interior rusher.

Saunders (6’0/324) started all four years on the Leathernecks’ defensive line, graduating with 18 sacks, 34.5 TFLs, and four forced fumbles and earning first-team FCS All-American as a senior. Saunders showed NFL-level athleticism in Indy with 46th-percentile SPARQ results, hustling out a 5.02 forty and pumping 27 reps on the bench. Built low with massive girth, Saunders is surprisingly twitchy for his size and stands to benefit greatly from an NFL weight room. Albeit an unlikely rookie starter, Saunders offers developmental upside as an interior pocket pusher.

Saunders (6’0/324) started all four years on the Leathernecks’ defensive line, graduating with 18 sacks, 34.5 TFLs, and four forced fumbles and earning first-team FCS All-American as a senior. Saunders showed NFL-level athleticism in Indy with 46th-percentile SPARQ results, hustling out a 5.02 forty and pumping 27 reps on the bench. Built low with massive girth, Saunders is surprisingly twitchy for his size and stands to benefit greatly from an NFL weight room. Albeit an unlikely rookie starter, Saunders offers developmental upside as an interior pocket pusher.

Saunders (6'0/324) is viewed as one of the top small-school players in this class, and one of the best defensive tackles altogether. “Quick, strong slaps to displace blocker’s hands and separate from the block, writes Zierlein, “Potential to become above average hand-fighter if he plays faster.” He does note that Saunders can struggle against power, and that he’ll need to show more urgency getting off blocks. He has been a disruptive force against a lower level of competition but flashed some of that same disruption during Senior Bowl practice week and an elevated level of competition,” writes Zierlein. “If he can improve his conditioning to become more disruptive for longer stretches, he’ll have a chance to become a solid rotational defender and eventual starter.”

PFF says Saunders (6'0/324) “moves like an edge” but he has the size and strength of a defensive tackle. Even as a small school prospect, it’s easy to be bullish on Saunders as a Day 2 selection. His movements at that size are pretty rare and he has production to back it up. Pro Football Focus credited Saunders with the second-best win rate among interior defensive lineman at the Senior Bowl.

Saunders (6'0/324) is Brugler’s 3rd-ranked “small-school” prospect and believes “the athletic skill, raw strength, and character are NFL quality.” Saunders has been in Brugler’s top-3 since November and remains such now. He produced a middling 46th percentile athletic SPARQ composite score at the NFL Scouting Combine but is still being routinely mocked as a Day 2 selection.