Countdown to Kickoff: David Edwards is the Saints Player of Day 75
Article excerpt
The Saints made a major free agent splash with the addition of David Edwards, who is expected to provide a big upgrade on the offensive line.
There are 76 days to go before the New Orleans Saints take the field for their 2026 regular season opener. On Sunday, Sept. 13, the Saints will begin their year on the road against the Detroit Lions. A newcomer to the squad, guard David Edwards, wears No. 76 for the Saints as they head into 2026.
Edwards was a prized free agent pickup. He'll be the starter at left guard, expected to fortify a position that in recent years has been a revolving door. Our Saints Player of the Day countdown continues with a look at Edwards' career and what led him to New Orleans.
Name (age): David Edwards (29)
Hometown: Downers Grove, Ill.
Position: Offensive guard
Height, weight: 6-foot-6, 308 pounds
College: Wisconsin Badgers
Relative Athletic Score: 4.75
Drafted: Round 5, 169 overall in 2019 (Los Angeles Rams)
NFL experience: 7 years
2026 salary cap hit: 6.3 million
A standout football and basketball player at Downers Grove North High School in Illinois, Edwards committed to the Wisconsin Badgers as a tight end before redshirting and moving to the offensive line. He'd quickly earn a starting job with the Badgers, earning back-to-back All-Big 10 honors in 2017 and 2018 and 2017 1st Team All-American accolades.
Edwards was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams with the 169th overall choice. He'd appear in all 16 games as a rookie, starting 10 contests. By 2020, he was the starting left guard for Los Angeles. It was a job he held for all 17 games and all four postseason outings during the 2021 season through the Rams Super Bowl LVI championship. In 2022, a concussion limited Edwards to only four games. After the season, he was signed by the Buffalo Bills in free agency.
During his first season in Buffalo, Edwards appeared in all 17 games but played sparingly as a backup. Over the last two seasons, Edwards was back at left guard. He started 32 of 34 regular season games for the Bills over that span, logging 91% of the offensive snaps (1,035) with two additional postseason starts for Buffalo in 2025.
Graded as one of the top linemen entering free agency, Edwards was quickly targeted by the Saints. New Orleans inked him to a four-year contract that included a $20 million signing bonus and $45 million in guaranteed money. He'll take over at left guard, between promising tackle Kelvin Banks Jr and center Erik McCoy. Edwards will be a major upgrade at the position and part of a line that is expected to be much improved this season in New Orleans.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: David Edwards is the Saints Player of Day 75