New Orleans Saints roster reset: DL gets rejuvenated, and TE becomes a bigger question

The NFL Draft brings plenty of fresh talent to a roster. Just like free agency, new players bring new competition for a roster. The Saints have a plethora of talent on both sides of the ball, both veteran and young. It will be interesting to see how the roster shakes out.  The Saints hope to […]

Adam Holt — NFL News Writer
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The NFL Draft brings plenty of fresh talent to a roster. Just like free agency, new players bring new competition for a roster. The Saints have a plethora of talent on both sides of the ball, both veteran and young. It will be interesting to see how the roster shakes out. 

The Saints hope to bounce back from a disappointing campaign a season ago, and they have set themselves up to do exactly that.

So, without further ado, let's check out the Saints' post-draft roster. Note: Single asterisks (*) represent 2023 draft picks and double asterisks (**) represent undrafted free agents.

Quarterback

  • Derek Carr
  • Jake Haener*
  • Jameis Winston

Carr will be the starter for the Saints this season. Haener is a rookie with a lot of experience and grit, who Carr has mentored some already. Winston will most likely be the game-day backup for New Orleans this season, though.

Running back/Fullback

  • Eno Benjamin
  • Derrick Gore
  • Alvin Kamara
  • Kendre Miller*
  • Adam Prentice
  • Sa'Rodrick Thompson**
  • Dwayne Washington
  • Jamaal Williams

Kamara, Williams, and Miller will headline the backfield. Washington is mostly a special teams player, but the Saints really like him as depth. Eno Benjamin, Derrick Gore, and Sa'Rodrick Thompson will be on the roster bubble.

Wide receiver

  • Kawaan Baker
  • Sy Barnett**
  • Shaquan Davis**
  • Keith Kirkwood
  • Kirk Merritt
  • Chris Olave
  • A.T. Perry*
  • Rashid Shaheed
  • Tre'Quan Smith
  • Michael Thomas

The Saints added Perry in the draft, and he projects to potentially be WR4 on the depth chart. The top three are set in stone with Thomas, Olave, and Shaheed. The others will battle it out for a roster spot. Keep an eye on Davis and Barnett as UDFA adds that the Saints like a lot.

Tight end

  • Miller Forristall
  • Taysom Hill
  • Juwan Johnson
  • Lucas Krull
  • Joel Wilson**

Johnson and Hill will be the top two tight ends to start the season if the Saints don't add another in free agency. That is a move that may happen, though. They just traded Adam Trautman, so adding a veteran makes a lot of sense. 

Offensive line

  • Yasir Durant
  • Mark Evans II**
  • James Hurst
  • Lewis Kidd
  • Koda Martin
  • Erik McCoy
  • Andrus Peat
  • Trevor Penning
  • Storm Norton
  • Alex Pihlstrom**
  • Nick Saldiveri*
  • Calvin Throckmorton
  • Ryan Ramczyk
  • Cesar Ruiz
  • Landon Young

The Saints probably had their starting OL set entering the off-season. That being said,  a few depth pieces have been added to the roster. It will be intriguing to see which combo of Young, Norton, Kidd, and Durant make the roster. 

Defensive line

  • Bryan Bresee
  • Prince Emili
  • Isaiah Foskey*
  • Carl Granderson
  • Cameron Jordan
  • Tanoh Kpassognon
  • Malcolm Roach
  • Khalen Saunders
  • Nathan Shepherd
  • Payton Turner
  • Jabari Zuniga

The depth battle will be most interesting here. Bresee should start early on for the Saints, alongside Saunders. Granderson and Foskey will be the top options opposite of Cam Jordan off the edge. DL was their biggest need, and the Saints have addressed it well so far.

Linebacker

    • Nick Anderson**
    • Zack Baun
    • Ryan Connelly
    • Demario Davis
    • Andrew Dowell
    • D'Marco Jackson
    • Anfrenee Orji**
    • Nephi Sewell
    • Ty Summers
    • Pete Werner

    Davis and Werner will start. Dowell is a great special teams player. It'll be a competition to watch past that as Summers, Orji, Baun, and others will all fight for snaps. Linebacker remains a depth need for the Saints. Another veteran would really help this room.

    Cornerback

    • Paulson Adebo
    • Ugo Amadi
    • Vincent Gray
    • Anthony Johnson**
    • Lonnie Johnson Jr.
    • Marshon Lattimore
    • Troy Pride Jr.
    • Bradley Roby
    • Alontae Taylor
    • Isaac Yiadom

    The cornerback room continues to be a strength, when healthy, for the Saints. They may add another veteran CB in free agency to add a bit more experienced depth, but they like this spot on the roster. 

    Safety

    • Johnathan Abram
    • J.T. Gray
    • Jordan Howden*
    • Tyrann Mathieu
    • Marcus Maye
    • Smoke Monday

    Mathieu and Maye are the veteran starters. Expect Monday to see some snaps, though. Howden projects to a nice hybrid role that the Saints like to use on defense, too. Gray is a special teams star. 

    Special teams

    • Blake Gillikin
    • Blake Grupe**
    • Lou Hedley**
    • Wil Lutz
    • Alex Quevedo
    • Zach Wood

    Lutz and Gillikin are proven starters. That being said, special teams battles are always a part of the NFL off-season. Keep an eye on Hedley as a potential punter replacement for Gillikin if he impresses during camp.

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