The Saints are set to kick off the preseason on Saturday, and as is the case with any season, there are nearly as many questions as there are answers.
Questions abound for running back depth, young WRs with something to prove, the starting LT, linebacker depth and more. This will be the game that the majority of veteran players get off, and that's why the list below is made up of young players with roster spots on the line.
So here are the players that I see with the most to prove heading into the preseason opener against the Houston Texans.
THE RB3
This first one is a bit of a copout, but I truly see the RB3 question as a wide open race. Each of Abram Smith, Devine Ozigbo and Tony Jones Jr. will get their shot in the preseason to show they can be the quality depth behind Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, a position that's all the more important considering the cloud of a potential suspension looming over Alvin Kamara.
But the player that no one is really talking about is the most familiar one of them all: Dwayne Washington. His position on the roster is likely already as secure as they come given his status as a special teams ace. But he's been working more as a running back this offseason, and he's as confident as anyone that he can prove his mettle as a traditional running back. If he can show that in the preseason, maybe the Saints can save a roster spot and only keep three running backs? If that ends up being the case, it'd create an opportunity for some of the other names on this list.
IAN BOOK
I see it as pretty unlikely that the Saints keep a third quarterback in the 2022 season, but if they do, it'll be because Ian Book shines and shows potential as a backup. The Saints spent a premium (and likely cost themselves a comp pick) bringing in Andy Dalton, and he'll be safe in the backup role. But Jameis Winston is battling a foot injury. If that lingers and Dalton has to move up to the starting line, Book needs to prove he can be trusted as the backup.
I've personally been critical of Book this training camp. Too often he's been indecisive, holding the ball too long and relying on his scrambling ability. In a practice setting you really want to see players make the correct read and react. There's no tackling, and if you hold the ball long enough someone will almost always come open eventually. But Dennis Allen has lauded Book's ability to create off-schedule. That ability is necessary in a game setting, and Book looked particularly sharp in Thursday's practice when he notched TD passes in five of his six reps during 7-on-7 drills in the red zone.
I'm ready to be made a believer, but that'll have to happen in these games.
DAI'JEAN DIXON & KIRK MERRITT
The top three names on the WR depth chart are etched in stone (Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave). The next two names feel like they're written in sharpie (Deonte Harty and Tre'Quan Smith), while the 6th and possibly final name feels penciled in (Marquez Callaway). But the next two names are almost just as intriguing: Kirk Merritt and Dai'Jean Dixon.
Both also happen to have very interesting south Louisiana backstories, with Dixon a New Orleans native and Merritt from Destrehan. Both have flashed throughout camp, with Merritt appearing to have his nose out in front. For these two receivers to make the Saints consider bringing the eraser into play for that 6th spot, or potentially to write in a 7th name at the WR position, it has to start here.
Dixon has his toenails painted black this offseason to represent the rockstar he knows himself to be. It's time for that to show on the field as well.
JAMES HURST
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This one might be a tad unfair to James, a veteran who has looked solid and feels like the odds-on pick to be the Week 1 starter at LT. But that's exactly what puts him on this list. If he even plays in the opener, it'll be his chance to really lock up that starting role with a rock-steady performance.
If he looks shaky, that opens up the race a bit. Hurst could obviously still win that job even with a shaky performance, but it'd give rookie Trevor Penning a bigger opening to make his case to be the starter on Day 1. I still think the ideal scenario is to bring Penning along slowly in his rookie season, but it'll be on Hurst to make that the easiest path.
SHY TUTTLE
The Saints have several incumbent names at defensive tackle, but Shy Tuttle's grip on his roster spot feels the weakest. He's battling names like Malcolm Roach, Kentavius Street and Albert Huggins, and preseason performances could very well be the biggest factor at that slot alongside David Onyemata.
With the Saints appearing well established to spend a lot of time in the NASCAR package this offseason, that second DT won't always be necessary. All names and options are on the table.
JUSTIN EVANS
The Saints have been hit hard by injuries at the safety position. Both Smoke Monday and Bryce Evans are done for the season, and there's a need for depth behind Marcus Maye, Tyrann Mathieu and roving DB PJ Williams on the back-end of an otherwise stout defense.
Justin Evans has the pedigree to be that guy. He's flashed often in camp, and backing up that performance with a strong preseason feels like it'd lock him in to the final roster.
ALL THE ACTIVE LINEBACKERS
I think it's unlikely that we see either true "starting" linebacker on Saturday. Demario Davis because he's got nothing to prove, and Pete Werner because he's still nursing a groin injury. Zack Baun also missed several days of practice and it feels unlikely he gets on the field.
But that just means the rest of the LB room has a chance to show why they should be the first depth option behind those two players, where the Saints are still clearly looking for answers. Kaden Elliss was listed at the SAM linebacker spot (a position rarely employed by the Saints in games), and he'll likely get a primary role as the Mike in this one. Can Andrew Dowell, Eric Wilson, Isaiah Prior, Nephi Sewell and Chase Hansen show that they're the most dependable option down the line? Of all those names, Dowell's is the most secure based on his special teams involvement. Everyone else will be fighting tooth and nail simply to make the roster.
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