The New Orleans Saints signed A.J. Klein as a free agent last offseason, pulling the talented linebacker away from division rival Carolina Panthers. Klein had been a 5th round draft pick out of Iowa State in 2013 by Carolina, and had played well in 23 starts over four seasons with the Panthers, mostly as a replacement for middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. He stepped into the starting lineup immediately with New Orleans, starting 12 games before an injury ended his year in a late season matchup at Atlanta.
Klein was a signal caller for an improved Saints defense in 2017, showing an outstanding ability to diagnose opposing offenses.