The New Orleans Saints will have plenty of big decisions regarding their roster in the coming months. Decisions will have to be made, and position battles will determine who makes the cut for Week 1. Minicamp brought out some breakout performers, as well as players that need to step up entering the season.

A lot of starters have locked down their role, but how will the depth shake out in New Orleans? 

This is how I see it playing out with the current roster for the Saints after this week's camp practices.

Quarterback (3)

IN: Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, Jake Haener
OUT: N/A

The skinny: The Saints will need to carry three QBs, and I don't think that will frustrate them. They like Haener a lot, but Winston will probably be the game day backup for Carr. They don't have another quarterback on the roster at the moment, so they may add a practice squad option later on this offseason. 

Running back (4)

IN: Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller, Dwayne Washington
OUT: Eno Benjamin, Ellis Merriweather, Sa'Rodrick Thompson, Lynn Bowden Jr.

The skinny: New Orleans may choose to carry four running backs. They've done it before and have the talent to do so again. Kamara, Williams, and Miller will be the top three, but Washington may grab a spot due to his leadership and special teams prowess. The Saints have always liked his game.

Wide receiver (6)

IN: Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, A.T. Perry, James Washington, Bryan Edwards
OUT: Kirk Merritt, Keith Kirkwood, Tre'Quan Smith, Kawaan Baker, Shaquan Davis, Malik Flowers, Keke Coutee

The skinny: The Saints choose to carry six wide receivers in this scenario. Smith and Edwards are the toughest to project, but Edwards gets the nod. He made some splash plays during minicamp – as did Washington. Both are new additions to the depth chart this year. The others should be locks. Keep an eye on Malik Flowers as a sleeper to carve out a spot by the start of the year. As of now, though, he doesn't make the cut.

Tight end (4)

IN: Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau, Adam Prentice (FB/TE),
OUT: Miller Forristall, Jesse James, Lucas Krull

The skinny: The tight end group got a new veteran addition this month in Moreau. For now, Johnson and Hill both are set in stone alongside him, and the Saints almost always carry one fullback. 

Offensive line (9)

IN: Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, Andrus Peat, Ryan Ramcyzk, Trevor Penning, James Hurst, Storm Norton, Nick Saldiveri, Calvin Throckmorton
OUT: Landon Young, Koda Martin, Lewis Kidd, Mark Evans II, Yasir Durant, Alex Pihlstrom, Scott Lashley, Billy Price

The skinny: This group is fairly cut and dry for the Saints. They've had their starting OL all off-season as well as a couple of key veteran backups. They added Saldiveri to the mix in the draft and Norton in free agency. Hurst gives them depth everywhere on the OL, and they love versatility. 

Defensive line (9)

IN: Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson, Isaiah Foskey, Bryan Bresee, Khalen Saunders, Nathan Shepherd, Malcolm Roach, Payton Turner, Tano Kpassagnon
OUT: Prince Emili, Jabari Zuniga, Jack Heflin, Niko Lalos, Jerron Cage

The skinny: The defensive line is similar to offensive when it comes to projections. A mix of young talent and vets will make up the unit. Shepherd and Saunders will assuredly make it after nice FA deals. Foskey and Bresee may push some others down the depth chart, but they'll still grab a roster spot. 

Linebacker (5)

IN: Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Andrew Dowell, Zack Baun, D'Marco Jackson
OUT: Ty Summers, Nephi Sewell, Ryan Connelly, Nick Anderson, Anfernee Orji

The skinny: The Saints normally carry five linebackers, and this roster build makes it worth it again. They love special teams linebackers like Dowell and Baun, but those guys will see the field on defense more often this year, especially Dowell, after the departure of Kaden Elliss. Jackson was a standout performer in minicamp that possesses pass rush upside. 

Cornerback (5)

IN: Marshon Lattimore, Alontae Taylor, Paulson Adebo, Bradley Roby, Lonnie Johnson Jr.
OUT: Isaac Yiadom, Troy Pride Jr., Anthony Johnson, Adrian Frye

The skinny: No surprises here. The Saints keep their veteran CB room in place and add Lonnie Johnson Jr. to the unit. It's a strong, proven piece of the defense.

Safety (5)

IN: Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye, Jordan Howden, J.T. Gray, Smoke Monday, 
OUT: Ugo Amadi, Johnathan Abram

The skinny: The first two are locks for the roster. Past that, safety is cloudy outside of Gray – a special teams ace for the Saints. Amadi will fight with Monday and Abram for a roster spot, most likely. Howden was a playmaker in minicamp as a rookie this week. His splash plays grab him a spot in this projection. Should be an interesting position for New Orleans.

Special Teams (3)

IN: Wil Lutz (K), Blake Gillikin (P), Zach Wood (LS)
OUT: Blake Grupe, Lou Hedley

The skinny: The Saints choose the veteran route here and keep Lutz/Gillikin as their boosters. Both have proven their worth in years prior. Grupe was impressive in minicamp, but Lutz also performed really well. They expect a bounce back year for him.

© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports