The New Orleans Saints have rotated through a number of options at left guard over the past three seasons. Trevor Penning and Andrus Peat, both former first-round draft picks, spent time there despite being natural tackles.
Dillon Radunz, Torricelli Simpkins, Lucas Patrick, Kyle Hergel, James Hurst, Max Garcia and Tommy Kraemer have also been part of the Black & Gold cast since 2023.
Entering 2026, the Saints sought to solidify the offensive line and find an immediate solution at left guard. Free agent David Edwards appeared to be the ideal fit.
The 6-foot-6, 308-pound native of Downers Grove, Illinois, was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and became a fixture on their offensive line, making 45 starts at left guard, including for the Rams' Super Bowl LVI championship team. He spent the past three seasons with Buffalo, starting 32 games at left guard for the Bills.
Edwards, 29, received a 71.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus last season, but his most impressive performance came in Week 3 against Miami, when he earned a dominant 93.8 run-blocking grade — the highest single-game blocking mark of his seven-year NFL career.
He believes there is still room to grow.
“I want to improve how I hit every block,†Edwards explained. “Every block performed has a life of its own, whether that is landmarks, tracks, footwork or hand placement. All of these are things you can always get better at. You can always improve your craft whether it's OTAs or training camp. You're always trying to focus on how you can improve each block, inside zone or a gap-zone block. It's all about how you approach it.â€
Edwards was a 215-pound quarterback in high school while also serving as a three-year starting center on the basketball court, attracting attention from Illinois and several Ivy League schools. He ultimately chose Wisconsin for football, initially arriving as a tight end before adding nearly 60 pounds over the next two seasons and moving to the offensive line. He became an All-American in his third year on campus, only his second season playing offensive line. Edwards also spent two seasons at Wisconsin alongside future Saints first-round pick Ryan Ramczyk.
The Saints' late-season success in 2025, winning four of their final five games, did not go unnoticed. Edwards was particularly impressed by first-year head coach Kellen Moore.
“I love him. He does things the right way,†the Saints' new left guard said. “(Moore) was a former player and has played at a really high level. He's been around a lot of successful teams. He's a very smart and bright offensive mind. He's a leader. You can see the intensity in everything that he does. He understands how certain schemes fit certain players. He does a great job incorporating all aspects of being a coach and how it fits together. It's been awesome since I've arrived.â€
As a junior at Wisconsin in 2018, Edwards suffered a shoulder injury during preseason drills but ignored the discomfort and played through the pain for 10 games. He is viewed as an interior lineman who can stick and slide while engaged with defenders, displaying good feet and excellent reach.
“I feel like some of my strengths are how I use my hands,†Edwards said. “I'm good at communicating all along the entire offensive line. I've played in a lot of different schemes, different pass-protection styles, and I have seen a lot of football. I know what to expect. I want to get everybody on the same page.â€
Edwards was a member of the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl LVI championship team that finished 12-5 in 2021 before defeating Cincinnati 23-20 in the title game.
“One thing that I learned that season was that we chased the process and not the result,†he said while describing the path to a championship. “When we won the Super Bowl, it was a culmination of all the hard work and a feeling of accomplishment that not everyone gets to experience.
“Since then, I have tried to make every day that I spend in the NFL the same, not worry about a win or a loss, just keep everything consistent and steady.â€
As the youngest starter on the Rams' offensive line at 24 years old, Edwards lined up next to former LSU All-American and 2003 BCS National Champion Andrew Whitworth, who started 235 NFL games during his remarkable career.
“The beauty of Andrew Whitworth was when I got to the NFL he was already in his 14th season,†Edwards chuckled. “His rookie season was 2006 when I was in second grade. One thing that I always appreciated about him was that no one was unimportant. Someone of his stature didn't have to do that. His humility to help players no matter where they were in their careers was amazing.
“My rookie season I played left guard next to him. For someone who was almost 40 years old at that time, he practiced three times a week without missing time because it mattered to him how we played on Sunday. I am forever indebted to him for how he helped me early in my career.â€
The move from Buffalo to the Crescent City will require some lifestyle adjustments for the Edwards family. The average annual temperature along the eastern shore of Lake Erie near the Niagara River is approximately 46 degrees. In New Orleans, the average temperature hovers around 71 degrees.
“The biggest difference is the weather,†Edwards smiled. “There are a lot of similarities between the two cities. This locker room, the culture when I signed with the Saints, I could feel it. There are a lot of great people with the Saints. You could draw similarities between the two franchises and cities.â€
One constant shared by both organizations is a passionate fan base — Buffalo's Bills Mafia and New Orleans' Who Dat Nation.
“I have had an opportunity to get out into the city with my family. You can feel the energy and the passion, the love that this city has for the community and the Saints. There is nothing better than having a fan base that has your back. You can use that as a weapon whether you're at home or on the road. I felt that with Bills Mafia. I feel that here. We're excited to be a part of that.â€
