METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints open the 2023 NFL regular season against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 10 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
The addition of former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and return of wide receiver Michael Thomas means there aren't many questions about who the Saints will start on the offense. But even with little chance for a major starter to be unseated on offense or defense, the Saints do have competition at the bottom of their wide receiver, linebacker and defensive back groups.
There's potentially two or three wide receiver spots up for grabs. They've also brought in competition for kicker Wil Lutz and punter Blake Gillikin, making the specialist jobs one of the battles to watch throughout training camp.
Here's the 53-man projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, Jake Haener
The Saints will have another major shift at starting quarterback after signing Carr in the offseason. While Winston will be his primary backup, the Saints will likely want to keep fourth-round pick Haener on the roster instead of risking him on the practice squad. Taysom Hill has spent time practicing with the QBs, but he's still considered a tight end.
RUNNING BACK (3): Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller
A potential suspension still looms for Kamara even though he is no longer facing a felony charge for a 2022 fight in Las Vegas. Williams comes in as a free agent and would take his place as starter, but nothing will change in the short term. If Kamara is suspended to start the season, expect the Saints to continue to potentially look for an outside free agent. Miller was a third-round pick in April and will round out the group.
FULLBACK (1): Adam Prentice
The Saints usually keep one fullback on the roster, although it's not always the player who is there on Day 1 of camp. Prentice has been with the Saints since 2021 and has become a key member of their special teams unit, so it would be a surprise in this case for them to switch things up.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Tre'Quan Smith, A.T. Perry, Bryan Edwards
The obvious choices here are Thomas, Olave and Shaheed, but it's a question after that, and it certainly feels like there are several spots up for grabs. Smith makes the team at the moment as a blocking receiver, and Perry is no lock as a sixth-round pick. If they keep this many, consider it a tossup right now between Edwards, a former teammate of Carr, and veteran James Washington.
TIGHT END (4): Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, Taysom Hill, Lucas Krull
Moreau and Johnson will get the most reps as true tight ends, and Hill will be in his utility role, which means he'll also get running back and quarterback reps. The Saints started with four tight ends last year (but only two quarterbacks), so keeping Krull might be a luxury. Considering how often these things change early in the season, he could end up on the practice squad if they need the numbers.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Ryan Ramczyk, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, Andrus Peat, James Hurst, Trevor Penning, Landon Young, Nick Saldiveri, Calvin Throckmorton
There are no real surprises on the offensive line as of now. McCoy, Ramczyk, Ruiz and Peat will return as starters, while Penning and Hurst will likely compete for the left tackle spot as Penning returns from injury. Saldiveri makes the team as a fourth-round pick if he's healthy, and right now, Throckmorton is penciled in after starting 20 games in the last two seasons as a backup. Second-year player Lewis Kidd isn't currently on the list but could make a case for a spot this season after starting one game at left guard last year as an undrafted rookie.
DEFENSIVE LINE (9): Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Payton Turner, Isaiah Foskey, Bryan Bresee, Khalen Saunders, Nathan Shepherd, Malcolm Roach
This is a vastly different group than 2022, with newcomers Bresee, Saunders, Shepherd and Foskey taking up four spots. That really doesn't leave many open spots unless the Saints decided to surprise everyone by moving on from Turner, a 2021 first-round pick. Roach probably has the least firm grasp on his spot after a number of additions at defensive tackle, but so far, nobody else has emerged that would potentially unseat him.
LINEBACKER (5): Demario Davis, Pete Werner, D'Marco Jackson, Zack Baun, Andrew Dowell
Davis and Werner will be on the field the most considering how often the Saints use a nickel cornerback instead of three linebackers, so they might not go as deep at this position. Jackson has had some nice plays this summer, and Baun and Dowell make the team for now off their special teams play. Keep an eye on undrafted rookie free agent addition Anfernee Orji, as he could play his way onto the roster like Dowell did a few years ago.
CORNERBACK (4): Paulson Adebo, Marshon Lattimore, Bradley Roby, Alontae Taylor
Adebo, Lattimore, Roby and Taylor will all get their reps in some form or fashion, which means the last slot will go to a player who is also used on special teams. The Saints love positionless players, so four cornerbacks on this list is really just a matter of how players are listed. Ugo Amadi can play special teams and was in the slot during earlier practices even though he's listed as a safety. Don't count out Isaac Yiadom either.
SAFETY (6): Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye, J.T. Gray, Jordan Howden, Ugo Amadi, Johnathan Abram
The Saints often keep 10 defensive backs, but sometimes only four safeties. This year is a matter of where Amadi is listed. Smoke Monday and Lonnie Johnson Jr., who had three interceptions for the Houston Texans in 2021, could contend here, but at the moment, the last spot goes to the veteran Abram, a former Raider recruited by Carr to the Saints.
SPECIALISTS (3): Wil Lutz, Zach Wood, Blake Gillikin
The Saints have brought in some interesting players for competition, including 30-year-old Australian punter Lou Hedley, who averaged 45.2 gross yards-per-punt at Miami. Kicker Blake Grupe has made some noise this summer, although Lutz has kicked well despite coming off a career-worst field goal percentage in 2022. The veterans still have the edge, especially this early, but nothing is set in stone.