Khalen Saunders impressed the Jaguars so much that the Saints wasted no time giving them what they wanted

Khalen Saunders impressed the Jaguars so much that the Saints wasted no time giving them what they wanted originally appeared on A to Z Sports.The preseason is a wacky time for the NFL.

The New Orleans Saints just made an unexpected deal with a familiar foe from the AFC in the form of a trade.

Saints trade Khalen Saunders to JaguarsAccording to Tom Pelissero, the Saints are trading veteran defensive lineman Khalen Saunders to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Just hours after a game against Jacksonville, New Orleans is sending them a starter from the preseason matchup.

In return, the Saints are receiving interior offensive lineman Luke Fortner from the Jags.

View the original article to see embedded media.There was a clue that Saunders was possibly farther down the Saints depth chart than many would have expected on Sunday against Jacksonville, too.

He played in the game.

Projected defensive starters for New Orleans did not suit up for the preseason game against the Jags.

Yet, Saunders was out there and played a fair amount.

He may not have known, but he was auditioning for the Jaguars - in a way.

Saunders was a starter for New Orleans last season but saw his play hit another small decline.

He wasnt as effective against the run from his spot inside (49.2 run defense grade per PFF).

Saunders totaled 43 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, and three pass breakups last season.The Saints will look to Nathan Shepherd, Khristian Boyd, among others to fill the void along their DL that this trade leaves.

New Orleans clearly believes in their DT depth a bit more than many would have expected to this point.View the original article to see embedded media.This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared..

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