Alontae Taylor, Paulson Adebo headline Saints’ top seven position battles

It may still “feel like” 115 degrees outside in the heart of this brutal New Orleans summer, but rest assured, football season is right around the corner.

Rookies report to Saints training camp this week, with veterans reporting July 25, the first practice set for July 26 and the first practice open to the public on July 28. Practice is open to fans on July 29, July 31, Aug. 4-6 and Aug. 10, weather permitting.

NewOrleans.Football will be your eyes and ears as the 2023 roster begins to take shape, with Nick’s daily practice observation posts, our new live updates feed that gives you an alternative to social media and our usual avalanche of stories, YouTube shows and podcasts.

With that, now onto the top seven position battles we can’t wait to watch unfold:

Alontae Taylor, Paulson Adebo and Bradley Roby

This is, by far, the most fascinating competition on this list, both because of the players involved and the high-stakes nature of the position. Although Taylor and Adebo technically will be battling for the No. 2 cornerback spot, the winner immediately becomes the No. 1 target of opposing quarterbacks trying to avoid Marshon Lattimore’s no-fly zone.

Our gut tells us Taylor has the edge, since he showed so much promise as a rookie last year — and because coach Dennis Allen raves so often about the presence and energy Taylor brings to the field. But Adebo will get every chance to earn the job in a competition that should feature heavy rotation with the first-string unit.

Alontae Taylor talks about the Saints secondary, how he will improve during his second season and why he thinks the team has Super Bowl potentialPresented by @pjscoffeeWith @taeetaylor and @MikeTripletthttps://t.co/pjsgdCdQq7— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) May 29, 2023

Meanwhile, Roby is the current front-runner to lock down the nickel job, which he has embraced heading into his 10th NFL season. But the Saints have been cross-training Taylor in the slot as well this summer. So several outcomes are possible, including Adebo as the No. 2 starter and Taylor as the slot — or Taylor as the No. 2 starter who moves inside on nickel downs, while Adebo comes off the bench to play outside.

The best part (for us and you) is we’ll get to chronicle this position throughout multiple drills every day, from 1-on-1s to 7-on-7s to 11-on-11s, whether the team is in pads or not, ideally with a heavy dose of matchups against both Michael Thomas and Chris Olave.

Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller

I toyed with leaving this trio off the list since I expect all three to rotate into the mix instead of a situation where three backs are fighting for two spots. Newcomers Williams and Miller should play especially big roles early, if Kamara is suspended to begin the season.

However, I’m not blind to how high-profile this group is among Saints fans and fantasy players alike. It will be interesting to see if the added depth leads to the Saints using Kamara in a more versatile role and making him back into a bigger part of the passing game. And it will be fascinating to see if Miller is dynamic enough to force his way into a high-impact job like Kamara himself did as a rookie third-round pick in 2017.

Trevor Penning, Andrus Peat and James Hurst

One of the more interesting wrinkles we saw during minicamp was the Saints moving Peat and Hurst back and forth from left guard to left tackle while Penning continued to heal from his Lisfranc surgery. I admittedly had assumed that if everyone was healthy this season, Hurst would be the “swingman,” who was capable of backing up both tackle and both guard spots. Then again, Hurst has been the most reliable member of that trio when it comes to health, with 33 games played and 31 starts over the past two seasons.

Ideally, Penning will prove he is healthy enough and developing quickly enough to take over the starting left tackle job this summer. That could leave Peat and Hurst battling for the starting left guard spot. However, we’ve got to see it on a consistent basis first from Penning, who will be one of the most compelling players on the entire roster to watch in the coming weeks.

Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey

Defensive end is similar to running back, in that there is room for Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Payton Turner and rookie Isaiah Foskey all to have roles on a rotational basis. However, I’m so eager to watch the development of Turner and Foskey in particular that it belongs high on this list for me.

It would be huge for the Saints if Turner could finally stay healthy and deliver on his potential in Year 3; or if Foskey could vault into a key role earlier than expected.

Saints Roster Audit: Who makes the Saints? Breaking down the locks, near locks, battlers and the long shots🗞️: https://t.co/YHGfwG2fTq pic.twitter.com/A9e1b8fTAj— NOF (@nofnetwork) July 12, 2023

Third linebacker

The stakes are a bit lower here, since the Saints typically only play two linebackers, and the top two are etched in stone with Demario Davis and Pete Werner. But the No. 3 job is a mystery after the Saints let Kaden Elliss defect to the division rival Falcons in free agency.

Former third-round pick Zack Baun has the early edge on the starting Sam position and the top backup role. However, Andrew Dowell is hoping to become more than just a special teams mainstay. And D’Marco Jackson, Ryan Connelly, Nephi Sewell and Anfernee Orji all took turns flashing during OTAs and minicamp.

It also remains a position where the Saints could keep a close eye on the rest of the NFL, specifically if none of the contenders steps up enough on a consistent basis.

Fourth and fifth receivers

Sixth-year veteran Tre’Quan Smith has a slight edge here based on his experience in the offense — and the fact he has shown the blocking ability required from a fourth receiver to earn a game-day role. But newly-signed veteran Bryan Edwards has past experience with new QB Derek Carr, which could offset that edge.

The Saints also drafted intriguing receiver A.T. Perry in Round 6 and signed veterans James Washington, Keke Coutee and Lynn Bowden to make for a crowded battle that also includes familiar names like Keith Kirkwood, Kirk Merritt and Kawaan Baker.

And this absolutely remains a position where the Saints could still keep an eye on the rest of the league — especially if another one of Carr’s former favorites, Hunter Renfrow, becomes available via trade.

Kicker and punter

These battles are notable simply because they exist, which isn’t the case every summer. But the Saints brought in competition, in the form of undrafted rookies Blake Grupe and Lou Hedley, for veterans Wil Lutz and Blake Gillikin after both suffered through down seasons in 2022 .

Grupe drew some praise during OTAs and minicamp while showing off a noticeably strong leg for his small frame. But Lutz produced an excellent summer by all accounts, a good sign he has regained the form from before his 2021 core muscle injury. Both he and Gillikin should remain the front-runners, but they’ll have to prove it.

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