METAIRIE, La. -- Forget about all the newcomers on the New Orleans Saints' defense. The two guys who could make the biggest impact this year are the two guys who were derailed by broken fibulas last year -- defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and cornerback Delvin Breaux.

Rankins (the 12th overall pick in the 2016 draft) and Breaux (a breakout discovery from the Canadian Football League in 2015) have the talent to rank among New Orleans’ top three players on defense.

And now fully healthy, that’s what both of them intend to do.

“Man, my confidence level is at an all-time high. I mean, I worked my behind off this offseason just to know that it’s time to be that Pro Bowler, All-Pro type guy,” said Breaux, who was limited to six games last year because of the broken fibula suffered in Week 1 and a shoulder injury suffered in Week 14.

The Saints made cornerback a No. 1 priority this offseason, ultimately drafting Marshon Lattimore with the No. 11 pick after considering trades for veterans Malcolm Butler and Trumaine Johnson.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean they needed a No. 1 cornerback.

Breaux played at that level in 2015, routinely matching up against top receivers. And the 6-foot-1, 196-pounder is the Saints’ most physical corner -- nicknamed “vise grips” by Saints receivers in his first training camp. That’s awfully helpful in a NFC South division loaded with big receivers such as Julio Jones, Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin.

When asked if he feels like people are sleeping on him again after his down season, Breaux said, “I guess so, but I try not to pay attention to it. But at the end of the day, they gonna see on Sundays.

“A lot of fans want to see that 2015 rookie, but man, I’m better than that. So they gonna have fun this year,” added Breaux, who said he has been fully healthy since January or February -- just a little sleep-deprived from the birth of his son in April.

Rankins, meanwhile, was singing the same tune from across the locker room.

The athletic big man, who has never shied away from high expectations, said his two biggest goals for 2017 are “a full season, for starters. And to dominate.

“For me, it's stay healthy, dominate and help this team win a lot of games." Rankins missed the first seven games last year after breaking his fibula during training camp -- then finished with four sacks, six quarterback hits and a forced fumble.

Rankins said he’d like to improve on his consistency more in Year 2.

“I think when I came back, I flashed a lot. But consistently I wasn’t as dominant as I felt like I wanted to be,” Rankins said. “So I think this year, I’ve taken it out there ... just trying to look at it as each play is its own battle. You know, dominate that battle, come back the next play and do the same thing.

“So I think consistency with dominating the game is probably the biggest thing.”

ESPN analyst Field Yates recently pegged Rankins as his choice among Year 2 players “primed for a breakout season” in an ESPN Insider article.

The 6-foot-2, 305-pounder is definitely a pass-rush asset, but he is equally disruptive against the run and has the versatility to bounce inside and outside in different formations.

Rankins said he kept his weight around that same 305-310 range, but he “leaned out” a little bit -- an advantage of being able to rest, then focus on football training instead of preparing for the scouting combine and NFL draft.

Rankins, who felt like a bit of an old soul from the first day he arrived in New Orleans, said he doesn’t feel like a rookie. He said the camaraderie between defensive linemen is so good that it feels like his fourth or fifth year. And he embraces taking on a leadership role with younger players -- or anyone he can help, for that matter.

Veteran defensive end Darryl Tapp, who is in his 12th NFL season with his fifth team, said that’s not the norm with young players.

“He’s unique,” Tapp said. “His college coach did a great job developing technique and fundamentals that he’s really incorporated into his game. And then that matched with his God-given ability [and humble attitude], shoot, the sky’s the limit for him.”