David Onyemata

Onyemata missed the first six games of the 2021 season due to a suspension he served for testing positive for a banned substance. In the 11 games he played, he recorded 34 total tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery. The 29-year-old will look to improve those numbers with a full season of games in 2022 as one of the Saints' starting defensive tackles.

Coming off a season in which he set career highs in tackles (44) and sacks (6.5), Onyemata had higher expectations for 2021. In fact, with Sheldon Rankins no longer around, Onyemata now is the leader of New Orleans' interior defensive line. Such a title might lower Onyemata's ceiling if it also means he receives more attention from opposing offenses, but pass-rush production is hard to come by for defensive tackles, and he has 14 sacks over the past three seasons. Unfortunately for the Saints, Onyemata is facing an NFL suspension after testing positive for a banned substance over the summer. The team is thus left scrambling for DT help, though Onyemata will eventually be back to stabilize the position.

Onyemata will return for a fifth season with the Saints in 2020 where he'll look to play a key role on the interior defensive line. The defensive tackle has totaled 9.5 sacks over his last three seasons, including three passes defended and a forced fumble. He should continue to see a lot of snaps, but he'll likely cede some work to Sheldon Rankins who will be back to full health in 2020.

Onyemata, who did not start playing organized football until 2011, made major strides in his second NFL season, recording 38 tackles (18 solo), two sacks, and one pass defensed across 16 games in 2017. Entering his third season, University of Manitoba (Canada) product is expected to push fellow defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and Tyeler Davison for a starting position, though all three should see significant playing time.

Playing at the University of Manitoba (Canada), Onyemata was a relative unknown before the Saints drafted him in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. A powerful defensive end, Onyemata put on an impressive show during the pre-draft process, but given his lack of major college experience, he may require some seasoning before he is ready to contribute at the NFL level.