Countdown to Kickoff: Vernon Broughton is the Saints Player of Day 91
Countdown to Kickoff: Vernon Broughton is the Saints Player of Day 91 Broughton is expected to upgrade the interior defense for New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints start their 2025 regular season 91 days from today against the Arizona Cardinals. Currently wearing No. 91 for the Saints is one of several newcomers to the team, rookie defensive lineman Vernon Broughton. As our Saints Player of the Day, it's time to take a closer look at the rookie defender.
Name (age): Vernon Broughton II (23)
Vernon Broughton II (23) Hometown: Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas Position: Defensive tackle
Defensive tackle Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 311 pounds
6-foot-5, 311 pounds College: Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns Relative Athletic Score: N/A
N/A Drafted: Round 3, 71st overall in 2025 (New Orleans Saints)
Round 3, 71st overall in 2025 (New Orleans Saints) NFL experience: Rookie
Rookie 2025 salary cap hit: $1,206,872
A four-star recruit out of Cypress Ridge High School in Texas, Broughton elected to stay in-state over recruiting pitches from other national powers. After playing in just two games in 2020 as a freshman, he was a regular part of the defensive line rotation until becoming a starter last season. In his last four years with the Longhorns, Broughton totaled 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss among his 70 total stops.
New Orleans targeted Broughton with their first of two choices in Round 3, the seventh pick in the round. He was the fifth defensive tackle taken off the board in Day 2. Outside of Bryan Bresee, a first round pick in 2023, Broughton is the highest drafted interior defender by the Saints since Sheldon Rankins in 2016.
Broughton has an explosive first step off the snap and good athleticism for his size. He'll need to get stronger and show more consistency against the run, but plays with good leverage against double-teams and shows good lateral movement down the line of scrimmage. Broughton's frame and athleticism gives him some versatility as both an interior lineman or a big end in 3-man fronts.
New Orleans ranked 30th in overall defense and a putrid 31st against the run and yards per rush. It's clear that the Saints and new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley wanted to get more skilled up front. They picked Vernon Broughton midway through Day 2 of this year's draft to hopefully help them do exactly that.
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