On Sunday I projected the offensive players that I think will make the Saints initial 53-man roster. Today I will do the same for the defense and specialists. 

Defensive Line (9)

Cam Jordan 

Carl Granderson

Payton Turner

Tanoh Kpassagnon 

Isiah Foskey

Bryan Bresee

Nathan Shepherd

Khalen Saunders

Malcolm Roach

This feels like the easiest position group on the team to predict. The bigger question? What is the starting D-line? Carl Granderson has had a really good camp per reports but so has Payton Turner it seems for now Granderson is ahead but if Turner continues his ascend throughout camp it could easily be him. Rookie Isiah Foskey has struggled for the most part, the Saints have been getting him to learn a new technique to help with run defense which could explain some of the struggles.

At DT the Saints seem to be mixing it up the rotation a lot so there doesn’t appear to be a clear starting order. If I had to guess id go with Saunders and Bresee as your starting pair. Either way, the Saints like to rotate their D-line regularly so all 4 will get plenty of run throughout the year.

Linebacker (5)

Demario Davis

Pete Werner 

Zack Baun

D’Marco Jackson

Nephi Sewell 

Linebacker is a tough group to predict with many question marks behind Demario Davis and Pete Werner. Baun is currently pencilled in as the starting SAM but the Saints play the majority of their defensive snaps in Nickel meaning there are only 2 LBs on the field at once. Baun still hasn’t really taken the leap as the Saints would have hoped. He has been on the wrong end of a lot of plays in coverage, has been good enough against the run and with Andrew Dowell suffering a torn ACL in practice last week, it leaves Baun as the LB one who played the most special teams snaps for the team last season. 

There was a lot of hype about Jackson earlier in the offseason which quietened early in camp, the last few days he’s started to make plays, first as the 2nd string MIKE, then as the starting MIKE LB whilst Davis has been out with a calf injury, Jackson seems to be a player the team is high on as a 5th round pick from last years draft. To round out the group I have Nephi Sewell, a player I thought was going to make the 53 last year but spent most of the year on the practice squad, he’s been the best of the rest so far in camp, especially against the run.

Ryan Connelly and 2023 UDFA Anfernee Orji are both players who I think could crack this list both have flashed in camp and could push Sewell for his spot. Additionally, the Saints could keep 6 LBs on the 53, as they have before with Connelly and Orji being prime candidates for that spot, I’d expect both to end up on the practice squad If not kept on the initial 53.

Cornerbacks (5)

Marshon Lattimore

Alontae Taylor

Paulson Adebo

Bradley Roby 

Isaac Yiadom

The first 4 should be no surprise, Lattimore is reportedly having his best camp as a Saints and is barely giving up a catch. Taylor and Adebo are battling for the outside CB spot opposite Lattimore and currently, it appears surprisingly that Adebo may be winning this battle as things stand. Roby is your starting Slot CB. 

Now, the Saints may opt to keep 6 LBs and therefore may only keep 4 CBs as I believe they did last year. I on the other hand have opted to keep Isaac Yiadom, who was picked up late last season and immediately solved the Saints issues at the Gunner spot opposite All-Pro J.T. Gray. He's continued to look the part on special teams this year but has also made some plays on defense. Therefore, he provides more than enough value to earn a spot on the 53.

There are two other players who are making a case for my 5th CB spot, Troy Pride Jr and Anthony Johnson. Pride has been making players all camp forcing multiple turnovers, which we all know HC Dennis Allen will love. Johnson another 2023 UDFA has been really solid in training camp after being injured during OTAs and minicamp. He’s broken up multiple passes and has looked strong in coverage, Ultimately, I think this is the hardest position group on the team to break into, again I’d expect both to end up on the practice squad if they clear waivers.


Safety (6)

Tyrann Mathieu 

Marcus Maye

Jordan Howden

J.T. Gray

Ugo Amadi 

Lonnie Johnson Jr

Another really tough group to predict, Mathieu and Maye are of course locks, as is J.T. Gray for special teams value alone. The team seems to love Howden, especially his versatility as he’s taken snaps with the 1’s at FS and SS was the team's 5th-round pick from this year’s draft. 

With only 2 spots left firstly I went with Ugo Amadi he’s been the slot defender for the second-string defense and is a solid special teams contributor (arguably I could have put his with the CBs but yeah...)he has also made plays at safety.

The last spot for me could easily go to Jonathan Abrams, who seems to have a role as the team's DIME LB and is a nice physical player for run support from the safety spot. Lonnie Johnson is versatile and has a bit of P.J. Williams about him with his ability to play all across the secondary (also had an interception in today's practice). Finally is fan favourite Smoke Monday who has also seen playing time with the 1’s and had an interception earlier in camp.

Due to his versatility, I went with Johnson but I really could see any of the 3 making it, even 2 of the 3 with one taking Amadi’s space.

This is also tricky as the expectation is that Marcus Maye will start the season suspended, another safety is likely to be carried or added immediately after Maye is moved to the reserved/suspended list

Specialists (3)

Will Lutz

Blake Gillikin 

Zach Wood

Not much analysis here I wanted to be spicy and have Lou Hedley as the punter but at this stage, he seems a bit too raw for the Saints to risk keeping him over the proven player in Gillikin. Lutz has been excellent in camp as has his competition, Blake Grupe. All reports would suggest it's Lutz’s job to lose again due to the confidence factor in a proven player. Wood just signed a new 4-year extension and might be the only player on the team with no competition behind him so he’s about as big of a lock as a lock can get.

My plan is to come back to this throughout the offseason and update my projection as more information comes forward especially from what I see in the upcoming preseason games.

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