The New Orleans Saints open their 2024 preseason schedule with a road game against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. That will be followed by two scrimmages and a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers next week before the Saints wrap up their preseason at home against the Tennessee Titans on August 25.
There will be just one official cut down day in the NFL this year. By 4pm ET on Tuesday, August 27, all teams must trim their active rosters to 53 players. New Orleans opens the regular season by hosting the Carolina Panthers on September 8.
There is still time for players on the roster bubble to make an impression on coaches, but this game against the Cardinals is a crucial opportunity. Several players are injured while most starters will play little or none at all. With perhaps their best chance in a game situation to solidify a roster spot, who on the roster can step up?
Here is my pre-preseason 53-man roster projection for the Saints.
(* = Rookie)
• Derek Carr
• Jake Haener
• Spencer Rattler*
After the release of Nathan Peterman, these are the only three quarterbacks on the roster. Carr is the certain starter, but you’d like to see him get game reps to be as comfortable as possible in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s system before the start of the regular season.
The drama here is at the backup spot. Haener and Rattler have both had good moments in camp, but we now get to see if that can carry over in a game situation. If neither inexperienced quarterback plays well, it could force the Saints to look into the remaining free agents for a veteran with some starting experience to back up Carr.
• Alvin Kamara
• Jamaal Williams
• Kendre Miller
• Zander Horvath (FB)
(Players to Watch: Jordan Mims, James Robinson, Jacob Kibodi*, Adam Prentice)
Kamara, still awaiting a new contract from the team, likely won’t see much action. Williams looks to rebound after a disappointing season in his first year with New Orleans. Miller (hamstring) is dealing with another injury and won’t play, something that has drawn criticism from coach Dennis Allen.
I gave this spot to Miller based on his explosiveness and potential he flashed during an injury-plagued rookie year. With him out of action again, Mims, veteran Robinson, and undrafted rookie Kibodi have great opportunities in front of them to at least make the coaching decisions difficult.
• Chris Olave
• Rashid Shaheed
• A.T. Perry
• Cedrick Wilson
• Mason Tipton*
• Bub Means*
(Players to Watch: Equanimeous St. Brown, Samson Nacua, Marquez Callaway, Kevin Austin Jr., Stanley Morgan Jr.)
Olave and Shaheed are terrific playmakers and will be the top two wideouts. After slow starts from each, Perry and Wilson are starting to come on and are battling it out for the third spot. Undrafted rookie Tipton has had a tremendous camp, but may not play Saturday because of a hamstring injury suffered the other day.
Means, a rookie fifth-round choice, has had his own injury issues. His spot is far from guaranteed and he’ll need to both stay on the field and make some plays. Otherwise, this spot could be wide-open between St. Brown, Nacua, and Callaway.
• Juwan Johnson
• Foster Moreau
• Taysom Hill
• Dallin Holker*
(Player to Watch: Michael Jacobson)
Johnson’s foot surgery will likely keep him out of action for the entire preseason. He’s projected to be ready for the season opener, but a delay in his rehab could cause him to start the year on the PUP list.
Both Jacobson and undrafted rookie Holker have been making plays early in camp. If they can carry that over into games, it should force the coaches to keep at least one of them even if Johnson is ready for the season opener. Who knows where the versatile Hill will be listed on the depth chart, but he’ll continue to be a valuable weapon at several spots for the offense.
• Taliese Fuaga, LT
• Lucas Patrick, G/C
• Erik McCoy, C
• Cesar Ruiz, G/C
• Trevor Penning, T
• Nick Saldiveri, G
• Shane Lemieux, G
• Olisaemeka Udoh, T/G
• Kyle Hergel*, G
(Players to Watch: Landon Young, Josiah Ezirim*)
Still easily the biggest concern on this team. Penning continues to be extremely inconsistent at best, a major liability at worst. Patrick will likely get the start against Arizona, but nobody has taken command of the competition at left guard.
Fuaga has had impressive moments at left tackle, but the depth here is also a major concern. This entire unit must show some promise over the next few weeks, or the Saints will be scrambling to find solutions on the waiver wire.
• Cameron Jordan
• Carl Granderson
• Chase Young
• Payton Turner
• Isaiah Foskey
(Players to Watch: Niko Lalos, Trajan Jeffcoat*)
This unit needs a big improvement after underachieving a year ago. Granderson and Young have both had outstanding camps so far and have been extremely disruptive. If this continues, then the team might be able to cut down on a heavy snap count for Jordan, therefore making him more effective late in games and down the stretch of the season.
Turner just needs to stay healthy and show the potential he’s flashed during each of his training camps. Foskey has shown some pass rush potential, but still looks completely lost against the run. Both Turner and Foskey should easily make the roster, but could find their spots in jeopardy when Tanoh Kpassagnon (Achilles) returns if they don’t consistently perform.
• Bryan Bresee
• Nathan Shepherd
• Khalen Saunders
• Khristian Boyd*
(Players to Watch: Kendal Vickers, Jack Heflin)
Bresee is dealing with a foot injury, but is looking to make a bigger impact after a strong rookie year. Shepherd is one of the underrated contributors for this defense. Saunders did very little in his first year with the Saints, but has had a strong camp thus far.
Boyd has shown some tremendous power in one-on-one matchups during practice. He’s a player to watch through the rest of the preseason. If he slips, both Vickers and Heflin have shown that they can at least be competent members of a rotation.
• Demario Davis
• Pete Werner
• Willie Gay Jr
• Khaleke Hudson
• Anfernee Orji
(Players to Watch: D’Marco Jackson, Isaiah Stalbird*, Jaylan Ford*, Monty Rice)
Davis, Werner, and Gay could be the best trio of linebackers that the Saints have had in decades. The competition for the spots behind them is a fierce and close battle that’ll likely be fought right up to cut-down day.
Jackson is the most experienced in this defense, but has been little more than a special teams contributor, though a standout in that vital area. Hudson is a coverage specialist also able to play on special teams. Rice is another specialized veteran, but one better against the run. Orji and Stalbird have consistently stood out during drills since training camp started. Ford, a rookie fifth-round choice, has missed a lot of time with injuries during camp but was a playmaker at Texas.
Those six players will see most of the defensive reps during the preseason. Pay close attention to how they perform on special teams as well. That will be the determining factor on who fills out the last 2-3 spots at this position.
• Marshon Lattimore
• Paulson Adebo
• Alontae Taylor
• Kool-Aid McKinstry*
There is no better trio of cornerbacks in the NFL than Lattimore, Adebo, and Taylor. McKinstry, a second-round pick, could make this an elite unit capable of shutting down even the deepest receiving units in the league. Lattimore is currently dealing with an injury, but should be ready for the season opener.
Adebo is in a contract year and is coming off the best season of his career. Taylor, who had some rocky moments in 2023 after a strong rookie campaign, is having a standout camp so far. McKinstry was a star at Alabama and has the talent and coverage skills to carry that over into the NFL.
• Tyrann Mathieu
• Jordan Howden
• Will Harris
• Ugo Amadi
• Johnathan Abram
• J.T. Gray
(Players to Watch: Millard Bradford*, Roderic Teamer)
The outlook of this position changes drastically if the Saints sign S Justin Simmons, who met with the team earlier this week. Mathieu is a defensive leader and is cemented as one starter. Howden seems to have the inside track at the other spot, but could be pushed by former Lions starting safety Harris.
Like at linebacker, the final spots at this position will be determined by special teams. This is an area where Gray, Amadi, and Teamer have flourished throughout their careers. If Simmons is not signed, than one of these players will also need to show that they can provide some quality defensive depth here, a legitimate concern at this position.
• Blake Grupe, K
• Lou Hedley, P
• Zach Wood, LS
(Players to Watch: Charlie Smyth* – K, Matthew Hayball* – P)
Smyth has shown a strong leg, but he has to show a lot to supplant Grupe, who had a good rookie year despite some costly misses. Wood has been one of the league’s most consistent long snappers throughout his career.
Punter is a potentially major problem. Hedley was extremely erratic during his rookie year, though showed some good directional ability. For a coach like Dennis Allen who typically like to play it close to the vest and win games with his defense, punting is a critical factor in games for field position advantage. Unless Hedley or Hayball can show consistency, it’s possible that the New Orleans punter for 2024-25 isn’t currently on the roster.