Saints 2026 rookie minicamp preview: Here's 5 things we're watching for

With all that in mind, here are the top five things we're looking for when this year's crop of draft picks hits the field in Metairie this week.

1. Who all is out there?

Some of the most interesting subplots from rookie camp often don't involve the rookies at all, considering the majority of names involved are actually tryout players. This year that group consists of 31 names (click here for the full roster), including a handful of veterans alongside undrafted players.

Last year two of the veteran tryout players included S Terrell Burgess and WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, both of whom were signed for training camp. This year's roster will likely be tougher to crack, but there are still names to watch.

Let's start with the quarterbacks, considering there's no young Saints draft pick to throw at rookie camp for the first time in a while. This year that group will include former NFL backups Easton Stick and Kyle Trask, who we'll likely see get a majority of the reps throwing to the four pass-catchers acquired in the draft (Jordyn Tyson, Bryce Lance, Barion Brown and Oscar Delp). Stick is the most intriguing, considering he was the backup for the L.A. Chargers in 2023 when Brandon Staley was the head coach and Kellen Moore was the offensive coordinator. If the Saints end up in need of QB depth at some point this season, Stick's name could make a lot of sense.

Another veteran to keep an eye on is safety J.T. Woods, much like Burgess a year ago, Woods was a third-round pick of the Chargers during Staley's tenure. He's got good size at 6-2, 195 pounds and should be a scheme fit. Woods has dealt with injuries and appeared in 13 games (1 start) thus far in his career with eight tackles and no passes defensed. We've already seen Staley bring in a handful of players in depth roles that he's coached previously, including Burgess, DE Chris Rumph and DT Jonah Williams. Could Woods be next?

Finally there's a very familiar name for Saints fans in Younghoe Koo, the longtime Falcons kicker who was cut early last season amid ongoing struggles. The Saints also signed UDFA Mason Shipley out of Texas, who still feels like the likely candidate to try to push Charlie Smyth for the starting job. The Saints will often try to get extended looks at specialists should they suddenly have a need, and that's most likely what's happening here.

Beyond that the eyes will be on the rookie class, all of whom have been officially listed with their jersey numbers.

• WR Jordyn Tyson: 0
• WR Bryce Lance: 18
• WR Barion Brown: 19
• CB TJ Hall: 34
• S Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 36
• DT Christen Miller: 52
• G Jeremiah Wright: 65
• TE Oscar Delp: 88

• CB Dashawn Jones: 42
• RB CJ Donaldson: 43
• K Mason Shipley: 46
• CB Jeremiah McClendon: 48
• DT Keeshawn Silver: 61
• DL Jay'Viar Suggs: 62
• DE Michael Heldman: 63
• OT Alan Herron: 70
• OT Alex Wollschlaeger: 79
• TE Cody Hardy: 86

That's how things stand right now, but I'd recommend not getting used to it. We've seen several rookies in recent years change jersey numbers after cutdowns, or even after their first or second season in the NFL. Take Kool-Aid McKinstry, who started out his rookie camp in the No. 34 before switching to No. 14 by the start of the season. He then took over the No. 4 in Year 2, and he'll be wearing the No. 1 this upcoming season. All that is to say: Make early jersey decisions at your own peril.

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2. Who all is out there?

We listed a lot of names above, but that's simply who is listed on the roster. That's doesn't mean all those players will be participating.

For example, one player who almost definitely won't be getting in any significant drill work is Lorenzo Styles Jr., who is still recovering from shoulder surgery that he underwent following this year's scouting combine. The Saints were well aware of this. Styles has said he expects to be ready for camp, though GM Mickey Loomis said it could be a bit longer before the young safety is a full go. Either way, don't expect to see him this weekend.

The other big health question is -- and will continue to be -- Jordyn Tyson. The Saints selected him No. 8 overall and have said they were confident in his medicals, but injury history was the near-constant topic for Tyson throughout the draft process. He dealt with a major knee injury and a broken collarbone earlier in his college career, and nagging hamstring issues hindering him mightily during the draft process. He was able to get in a light workout ahead of the draft itself, but does that mean his hamstring is truly 100%?

The headlines and hot take circuit won't be particularly kind if Tyson doesn't practice, but this is also the time of year where guys shouldn't be battling through ANYTHING just to get out on the field. Rookie minicamp is more about an introduction to the program and classroom work than anything else. I'd much rather see a guy work his way back slowly and be ready for camp than try to push through something just to avoid some bad PR. We'll have to wait and see either way.

That point also goes for the remainder of draft picks and UDFAs. If anyone is dealing with nagging health issues that didn't necessarily come up during the draft process, this is where we should be able to find that out.

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3. Does the speed play?

We won't see a ton of action in these practices. There will be no pads. There will be no 11-on-11 drills. It'll be a lot of going through the motions.

But what we will get to see is just how dynamic some of these new pass-catchers can be. That group includes Jordyn Tyson, Bryce Lance, Barion Brown and Oscar Delp. They'll be able to get up and down the field against coverage (and against air) to show some of the ability that drew the Saints to them in the first place. Lance's skillset is particularly intriguing at 6-3 and with low 4.3 speed.

There was clearly a premium this year placed on the combination of size and athleticism. Now we can see just what that looks like.

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4. Who lines up where?

There will be no real trench work this weekend, as the CBA doesn't even allow full contact at this stage. That said we will be able to get an idea of where the drafted rookies and UDFAs are slotting in for the majority of their work.

Does Jeremiah Wright get all of his work at one guard slot, or does he cycle between them. How about Alan Herron and Alex Wollschlaeger at the tackle spots? Who is first team in this scenario? The same goes for the guys on the defensive side.

It's all data, but I'd also advise against any hard and fast rulings based off that alone. For example, take last year when one of the biggest rookie camp storylines was Kelvin Banks cycling through both tackle and both guard spots. Everything was on the table, at least until camp rolled around and he wads the full-time left tackle, a role he never relinquished as one of the few players on the roster to start all 17 games.

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5. What does it look like?

One of the very noticeable things about Kellen Moore's first offseason in New Orleans was the heavy -- I'd argue at times too heavy -- emphasis on not overworking guys. I don't necessarily expect that to change a ton, but what adjustments might we see in Year 2?

Like a lot of this preview, I don't think we'll be able to make any hardline determinations based on what we see, but it will be the first chance to spot any adjustments that might be coming for the full camp.

Changes could include things like more 1-on-1 drills (we saw very few of those sessions last year), or there could be changes in how the practices operate, how players go between segments of practice, a bigger emphasis on special teams, etc. etc.

It's one of those things where you won't know what it could be until you see it, but I'd expect some level of fine-tuning this year.