The New Orleans Saints roster is rounding into form. Over the next couple of weeks, the 53-man group will be finalized. The final preseason game, as well as other practices, will factor in the decisions. 

Positional battles are at their peak, and it'll be intriguing to see how it all works out for New Orleans. 

As of right now, what is my best guess at what the 53-man roster will look like to begin the season? I broke it down below.

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 to start the year. 

Running back (4)

IN: Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller, Darrel Williams
OUT: Ellis Merriweather, Kirk Merritt

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, and Williams may grab the final spot due to his gritty play and experience. He is a depth veteran. 

Wide receiver (6)

IN: Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, A.T. Perry, Keith Kirkwood, Shaq Davis
OUT: Tre'Quan Smith, Kawaan Baker, Jontre Kirklin, Lynn Bowden Jr.

The skinny: The Saints choose to carry six wide receivers in this scenario. Smith is the toughest to project, but his lack of availability could hurt him. In this scenario, it does, and he lands on the practice squad. Shaq Davis has impressed a ton in recent weeks during the preseason and practice. His jump-ball catchability is exciting. Perry is a rookie that the offense has used consistently so far. Kirkwood has a strong connection with QB Derek Carr already.

Tight end (5)

IN: Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau, Jimmy Graham, Adam Prentice (FB/TE),
OUT: Jesse James, Lucas Krull, J.P. Holtz

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, Landon Young
OUT: Calvin Throckmorton, Max Garcia, Lewis Kidd, Mark Evans II, Tommy Kraemer, Chuck Filiaga

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. Landon Young has been a bright depth spot when healthy this offseason. 

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, Jack Heflin, Niko Lalos, Jerron Cage, Kyle Phillips

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. Turner has improved this offseason. 

Linebacker (4)

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

The skinny: The Saints normally carry four or five linebackers, and this roster build makes it worth it again. Smith has been impressive in his limited time so far as LB3. Jackson was a standout performer in minicamp that possesses pass rush upside. He can make an impact on special teams, too. It'll be a close race between Jackson, Sewell, and Orji – in my opinion.

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. Yiadom narrowly misses the cut. They like his game.

Safety (5)

IN: Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye, Jordan Howden, J.T. Gray, Ugo Amadi
OUT: Smoke Monday, 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 in camp grab him a spot in this projection. Amadi/Monday is the toughest choice here. They choose the veteran with proven turnover production. 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 all offseason, but Lutz also performed really well. They expect a bounce back year for him.

© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports