New Orleans Saints

Saints' defensive tackle Nick Fairley making most of new situation

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:33 p.m. ET

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Nick Fairley has underperformed in his professional career to date with the Lions and the Rams, but a new team closer to home for him is a fresh start. The Auburn product is upping his game.

Oct 2, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) is sacked by New Orleans Saints nose tackle Nick Fairley (90) during the fourth quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Fairley’s journey has been an interesting one to say the least. Coming out of Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama, a couple of hours from New Orleans, he grew up a Saints fan. Williamson High School is within spitting distance of Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium, host site of the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

The Senior Bowl is a marquee game in which the nation’s top collegiate seniors compete in a North vs. South format under direction of NFL coaching staffs, and is attended by large numbers of scouts from each team. Kids who grow up around the stadium get to see how the NFL works up close like many others do not.

Position Change

The 6-foot-4 304 pounder Fairley was an early three star commit to Auburn University as an offensive guard. Failing to meet academic requirements however, he made the decision to attend Copiah-Lincoln Community College outside Jackson, Mississippi for two years to make himself Auburn ready.

At Auburn he quickly became a standout. With him on defense and Cam Newton on offense, the 2011 Auburn Tigers won the BCS National Championship over the Oregon Ducks.

From there he went on to become a first round pick for the Detroit Lions in the NFL. His play at the pro level has been described as inconsistent, and after four years, he was released and picked up for a year by the then St. Louis Rams. With inconsistency issues there as well, Fairley was again up for grabs.

Oct 2, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; New Orleans Saints nose tackle Nick Fairley (90) reacts during the first quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

With a strong desire to be back near his home town and familiar environments, he ended up signing an incentive laden one year deal with the Saints in March of this year. With rookie Sheldon Rankins going down in the preseason, things have opened up for Fairley to show his wares, and so far it seems the move has been a much needed shot in the arm for the still in his prime defensive tackle.

Gradually getting more and more playing time and showing what he still has in the tank, Fairley had perhaps his best day as a pro when the Black and Gold took on the Chargers in San Diego in Week four. Finishing the day with two sacks, two quarterback hurries and a couple of hits on Philip Rivers and helping to limit the Bolts’ running back Melvin Gordon to a measly 36 yards on the ground got Fairley some notice.

Pro Football Focus ranked him an 87.3 for the day, next only to Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald of the Rams with 89.2. That puts Nick Fairley in some fierce level of competition. Donald is considered one of, if not the best defensive tackles in the league.

With him performing at this level, and Sheldon Rankins expected to come back off of injured reserve soon, the Saints coaching staff will have some big decisions to make. At any rate, if Fairley continues to play at this level, the Saints may have come away with one of the better free agency steals of the Sean Payton era.