New Orleans Saints

Young players stepping up for Saints on both sides of the ball in 2015

Published Nov. 4, 2015 3:10 p.m. ET

foxsports

The New Orleans Saints have obviously been led by veteran quarterback Drew Brees to this point, and his play has been key to their 2015 turnaround, which has them sitting at 4-4 overall.

While Brees deserves a ton of praise for his play, the strong play of many young players spread across this New Orleans roster can't be overlooked as well.

Whether it's offensively from the likes of second-year wide receiver Brandin Cooks and undrafted free agent Willie Snead, or defensively from linebackers Stephone Anthony and Hau'oli Kikaha. We also can't overlook the surprisingly solid play of third-year safety Kenny Vaccaro and Delvin Breaux, who is 26, but in his first year in the NFL.

Cooks and Snead have actually led the Saints in receiving, combining for 76 receptions for 1,063 yards and six touchdowns. They, along with veteran Benjamin Watson, have become the go-to options in the passing game for Brees, and are truly opening up the offense for talented running back Mark Ingram.

As for Anthony, Kikaha, Vaccaro and Breaux, these four players are all in the top seven of the team in total tackles. Anthony also has five tackles for loss, five pass deflections and an interception. Kikaha is No. 2 on the team in sacks with four at this point, while Vaccaro has 49 total tackles and four pass deflections.

Then, there's Breaux. The former Canadian Football League star has taken the NFL by storm. He's defending the top receiver on opposing teams on a weekly basis, and has done a great job of shutting them down as well. It's safe to say that the Saints have found a star in Breaux, and he should only get better as time goes on.

While the Saints have their fair share of veteran talent, the young players are stepping up big, and those players listed above are just a few of the talented options on their roster.