Saints offseason report card: Did the Davon Godchaux trade pay off?

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One of the earliest moves the New Orleans Saints made last offseason came via trade, bolstering their defensive line ahead of the 2025 campaign. In March, the Saints sent a 2026 seventh-round pick to the New England Patriots to acquire veteran defensive tackle and LSU alum Davon Godchaux. Long regarded as one of the league’s more reliable nose tackles, Godchaux was expected to be a foundational piece in the Saints’ transition to a 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley -- a schematic shift not seen in New Orleans since the Steve Spagnuolo-Rob Ryan era.

While his first season in New Orleans came with tempered expectations and mixed results, Davon Godchaux’s role still carried importance as the Saints transitioned to a new defensive identity. With free agency approaching, we continue our report card series on the Saints’ 2025 offseason, evaluating how each addition performed during the season in black and gold.

Up next: Davon Godchaux's report card.

Contract Details

Following the trade, Godchaux renegotiated his deal, signing a two-year contract worth $11 million. The agreement included a $3.2 million signing bonus and approximately $7.5 million in guaranteed money. His cap hit for the 2025 season came in at $7.1 million.

Snap Counts

Godchaux served as the Saints’ primary nose tackle on early acknowledges, starting exclusively at the position throughout the season. He logged 456 defensive snaps across all 17 games.

Season Stats

Statistically, the 2025 season marked one of the quieter campaigns of Godchaux’s career when compared to other years in which he played a full slate. He finished with 43 total tackles (14 solo), two tackles for loss, and zero sacks.

Season Recap, Future Outlook

As the Saints installed Brandon Staley’s 3-4 defense, Godchaux was tasked with handling one of the most demanding roles in the scheme. The expectation was that he would anchor the interior and play a major role in improving the team’s run defense. While New Orleans did show noticeable improvement against the run overall, Godchaux’s individual impact fell short of expectations.

At 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds, Godchaux consistently held his ground and absorbed double teams, but he rarely displayed the disruptive presence needed to control the interior. His lack of push limited lateral flow, and inability to split blocks were evident throughout the season -- issues that were reflected in his advanced metrics as well.

Godchaux finished with a 50.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 95th out of 134 qualifying defensive linemen. At 31 years old, it appears his most productive years may be behind him. While he remains under contract for next season, it would not be surprising if the Saints begin exploring younger, more explosive options at nose tackle this offseason or during training camp.

Report card grade

Godchaux offered experience and positional stability at nose tackle but delivered limited impact. While effective at occupying blockers, he lacked disruption and playmaking, making his overall contribution solid yet replaceable.Grade: C

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints offseason report card: Grading the Davon Godchaux trade

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