2022 Saints 53 Roster Prediction

Ethen Meyers • August 30, 2022

The Deadline:

        As you may or may not know tomorrow, August 30th, 2022 @ 3PM CST, is when the rosters for all 32 NFL teams must be cut down to 53. This is also the deadline to label players a variety of things but the most important would be the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. This list is a bit of a "IR" for the start of the season. If a player is labeled PUP, they do not count against the 53, but also cannot play the first 4 weeks of the season. The only names that comes to mind here is Tre'Quan Smith, as he did not return to the field after he tipped the ball to Marquez Callaway and of course Trevor Penning. Penning is suffering from some extreme turf toe after tearing a ligament in his foot and is currently out "indefinitely". I can certainly image a scenario where both of these guys wind up on the PUP list to give the front office more time to add depth to their positions, or somewhere else.


The Prediction:

QB 2 (2) Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton
RB 5 (7) Kamara, Ingram II, Tony Jones Jr., Duane Washington, Adam Prentice(FB)
TE 3 (10) Adam Trautman, Taysom Hill, Juwan Johnson
WR 6 (16) Michael Thomas, Jarvis Laundry, Chris Olave, Marquez Callaway, Kirk Merritt, Deonte Harty
OL 8 (24) Andrus Peat, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, Ryan Ramczyk, Calvin Throckmorton, Landon Young, James Hurst, Lewis Kidd
ST 3 (27) Wil Lutz (K), Blake Gillikin (P), Josh Wood (Long Snapper)
DB 10 (37) Tyrann Mathieu,Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, Marcus Maye, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, P.J. Williams, Alontae Taylor, J.T. Gray, Bradley Roby, Justin Evans
LB 6 (43) Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Chase Hansen, Eric Wilson, Zach Baun, Jon Bostic
DL 10 (53) Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, Payton Turner, Kentavius Street, Taco Charlton, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Carl Granderson, Malcolm Roach
PS 16 Ian Book (QB), Abram Smith (RB), Lucas Krull (TE), Dai’Jean Dixon (WR), Rashid Shaheed (WR), Nick Martin (OL), Derrick Kelly (OL), Brian Allen (DB), Vincent Gray (DB), Daneil Sorenson (DB), Nephi Sewell (LB), Kaden Elliss (LB), Jordan Jackson (DL), Josh Black (DL)

The Reasoning:

        Some of these should be self explanatory so I won't dive into every single pick, just some of the ones you may not see. For starters, I have Tre'Quan Smith, Trevor Penning, and Albert Huggins all starting off not counting against the 53 and falling on that PUP list. This gives the Saints time to figure out some areas that may need depth while those guys work through some injuries. The second big one is the Practice Squad, 16 players allowed but I only named 14. My logic behind this was I see the Saints front office going out and trying to snag some guys from around the league they liked more than who they already had off the waiver. Positions that come to mind for this are Left Tackle, and possibly Running Back and Linebacker. For some of the depth picks like Hansen over Ellis, or Evans over Sorenson special teams play had a lot to do with my picks in that regard. No one knows for sure, and we won't know what is concrete until tomorrow afternoon, for now we buckle up and wait for the coming cuts.

A quick share helps us a lot!

Football player in red kicks as teammate kneels on field during game, crowd blurred in background
By Patrick Harkness August 20, 2026
K 
Jackson Courville- Ohio State 
He committed on January 12, 2026 (after entering the portal January 2) and is now on Tulane’s 2026 roster as a redshirt junior (#96, 5’10”, 185 lbs) from Centerville, OH (Centerville HS). 
Here’s why Courville aligns so well with the Green Wave program: 
• Proven Leg Strength and Clutch MAC Production
: In two seasons as Ball State’s starting kicker (2023-24), he went 26-of-34 on field goals (76.5%) and 54-of-56 on extra points. Highlights include a game-winning 52-yard FG as time expired vs. Northern Illinois (2024), his career long, plus multiple makes from 50+ yards. He was automatic inside 40 yards and showed the power and accuracy Tulane needs after the departure of standout Patrick Durkin. 
• P4 Experience and Fresh Start
: After battling for the job at Ohio State in 2025 (limited to just 4 XPs in one appearance), he brings valuable Big Ten reps and camp competition experience. Now at Tulane, he’s locked in a competitive spring battle with Cooper Helmke and Zach Marini. 
• Immediate Depth and Competition in a Reloading Unit
: Tulane aggressively addressed special teams via the portal after losing Durkin. Courville arrives as a high-upside veteran with two years of eligibility left, ready to compete for the starting job and provide reliable kicking depth right away. 
In short, Jackson Courville is a smart, high-character portal pickup who brings proven production, big-leg power, and built-in chemistry with the offense to a position group that needed reinforcements. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
Dagan Bruno football player in teal helmet, number 14, during action pose with name and stats graphic.
By Patrick Harkness August 20, 2026
Dagan Bruno: The Local Walk-On Made Some Noise in Tulane’s Quarterback Room during Spring Camp Dagan Bruno is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound redshirt sophomore quarterback wearing No. 14 for the Tulane Green Wave. A Preferred Walk-On from New Orleans and John Curtis Christian School, the hometown product has steadily transformed from scout-team specialist into a legitimate competitor in the quarterback room under head coach Will Hall. Bruno arrived at Tulane as a late addition to the 2024 class after a standout multi-sport career at John Curtis. As a junior in 2022, he helped lead the Patriots to a Division I Select state championship and was named the most outstanding player in the title game. In his senior season he completed over 72 percent of his passes for 1,504 yards with 13 touchdowns and just one interception while adding 527 rushing yards and eight scores. A true three-sport athlete who also excelled in basketball and baseball, Bruno maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. At Tulane he redshirted in 2024 and spent the bulk of his first two seasons running the scout-team offense, particularly the triple-option looks used by Army and Navy. His experience in John Curtis’s split-back veer made him uniquely valuable in preparing the defense. Playing time was limited, and the lack of consistent reps tested his confidence. Everything changed in spring 2026. Bruno forced his way into the conversation with accurate, decisive play. In the final spring scrimmage he went 5-of-5 for 69 yards, capping the day with a perfect 40-yard touchdown strike down the sideline to Antwaun Parham. Coach Will Hall was emphatic in his praise: “You can win with Dagan Bruno. This is not some feel-good story anymore… Dagan can play. I love his competitive spirit. He’s a tough guy, a winner and a leader.” Bruno has made it clear he wants to shed the “option quarterback” label. “A lot of people tried to push me into being the option quarterback guy,” he said. “I’m trying to break away from that a little bit and become a real quarterback that can go out there and throw the ball around, make the right checks and just do everything right.” Heading into fall camp and the 2026 season, Bruno sits in a competitive four-man race alongside Zeon Chriss-Gremillion, Kadin Semonza, and true freshman Trace Johnson. While the early days of camp have been a mixed bag for him after his strong spring, his accuracy, athleticism, toughness, and local knowledge continue to make him a valuable piece of the room. Whether he earns the starting job, serves as a key backup, or provides package plays, the John Curtis product has already proven he belongs. For a preferred walk-on who stayed home and kept working when the spotlight was elsewhere, Dagan Bruno’s rise is a classic New Orleans football story, one that Green Wave fans should watch closely. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
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