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Under pressure: These Saints players have the most on the line in preseason finaleplay icon
Saints

Under pressure: These Saints players have the most on the line in preseason finale

Jeff Nowak
By Jeff NowakAug 23, 2024
Jeff Nowak
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There's only one dress rehearsal left for the New Orleans Saints before the regular season arrives, and that means job pressure for a lot of players on the current 90-man roster.

But who has the most on the line when they face down the Tennessee Titans at the Caesars Superdome this week? That's what we broke down on the latest episode of Inside Black & Gold. Check out the full episode below.

Can't see the embed? Click here.

Scroll below for a quick breakdown and prediction for each of those positions/players.

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RIGHT TACKLE: Oli Odoh & Trevor Penning
Why: It's been Trevor Penning getting all the first-team reps up until this week in camp, with no real sense of a true competition. That changed starting with the open practice at Tulane, with Oli Udoh working in with the 1st team on some sets as Penning watched from off to the side. That's continued throughout the week of practice with each player trading off sets. It's unclear how that will translate to the preseason finale, but it certainly amps up the pressure at a vitally important position and the season-opener looming.

My guess: At this point I still see Penning as the starting RT, and Dennis Allen alluded to that by noting that he'd still give the young player the advantage despite amping up the competition. My read, at least as of today, is that this is more about making sure that Udoh is as ready as possible should Penning's play quality force you to make a switch. If the decision had already been made, Udoh would be getting all the 1st-team reps to get him up to speed quickly. You're also going to give the starter all the first-team practice reps leading up to the game to make sure that player has the best chance for success. Realistically this is the last chance this team has to truly split reps like this, so they're -- smartly -- taking advantage of it.

Trevor Penning or Oli Udoh? Saints have a new competition at RT

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DEPTH WRs: A.T. Perry, Bub Means, Equanimeous St. Brown, Mason Tipton, Stanley Morgan
Why: To me the only players who are safe in the WR room at this point are Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Cedrick Wilson. That means two or three roster spots will be filled by the names listed above, and a strong showing -- in the passing game, blocking in the run game and on special teams -- could be what makes or breaks those chances. Tipton is the most interesting case. He was the early camp darling, but he's missed both preseason games with a hamstring issue. He's worked back into practice this week, and he'd really benefit from a strong showing on Sunday.

My guess: You're looking for excuses to keep around your draft picks, so I think Bub Means is in a good position. A.T. Perry can be tough to read, but I think he's the most likely keep of the remaining players. The wild card is how strongly you feel about Stanley Morgan's ability on special teams. I wouldn't be surprised if he sticks around for that reason alone.

━━
RB3: Jordan Mims and James Robinson
Why: This team is almost certainly going to keep three running backs, and it's very clear that Kendre Miller hasn't done much to ingratiate himself to the coaching staff. Mims feels like the obvious pick, but don't sleep on Robinson, either. He's an experienced player who has had an underrated but effective camp. Both those guys would benefit from putting a strong stamp on their preseasons against the Titans.

My guess: I've been talking about being impressed with Mims all the way back to his participation in rookie minicamp, and I'm not changing that now. I expect him to be the pick and Miller to land on IR if the team doesn't opt to simply cut bait due to lack of availability.

Hebert: Saints backup QB battle still 'wide open' between Rattler and Haener

━━
QB2: Jake Haener
Why: I'm not including Spencer Rattler here, because all I want to see from his is a progression. His spot on the roster is safe regardless of what he does in this game. I can't say the same for Haener, but he will have a chance to solidify his case of being the best option as the backup QB. If we don't see Derek Carr, which I think is likely, I expect Haener to start the game and it'll be an opportunity to play with the 1s who are out there and impress some coaches.

My guess: I think he gets it done. Haener's advantage to this point is experience and he's just looked more poised. We're not talking about the best prospect at backup QB, but who would give you the best chance to win a game if you had to send them in there today. To me, that's Jake, and you continue to allow the rookie to develop without game pressure (like you did with Jake last year).

KICKER: Blake Grupe or Charlie Smyth
Why: The unknown kicker out of the international program has forced this to be a conversation down to the final day of camp. I personally have seen him bomb in kicks from 65-plus multiple times this preseason, and he did it in front of fans out at Tulane's stadium this week. As I sit here and write this he's got the final day of kicking ahead of him, and if he knocks through all 7 attempts he'd finish with the exact same kicking percentage os the incumbent Blake Grupe this preseason. The second-year pro who was the talk of camp a year ago has had some shaky misses out in Irvine, but he's been more consistent on kicks inside 50.

Saints open practice takeaways: Charlie Smyth wows Yulman crowd with 65-yard boot

My guess: While Grupe certainly hasn't been perfect, the last line above is what I think will ultimately win him another year on the job. There are just too many unknowns remaining for Smyth -- a player who is barely a year removed from the first time he kicked a football and currently has to his credit one kick in a preseason game. As exciting as the 65-yarders are, the Saints won't take such a massive gamble based on the ability to make a kick they might attempt in a game once a year. I highly doubt any other team would give Smyth a long look on waivers for the same reason, so the most sensible plan would be to stash him on the practice squad feeling very good about what he's shown this year, with the goal of having another intense competition down the line -- and maybe even get him opportunities this year if the need arises.

━━
STRONG SAFETY: Will Harris or Jordan Howden or Johnathan Abram
Why: There's still no established starter next to Tyrann Mathieu at this point, and while that's not a great thing, I think it's more telling of the fact that these guys are all pretty even at this point.

My guess: I wouldn't say it's the highest-caliber set of options you'll ever see, but I do think you'd be fine starting any of them with the overall quality of this defense. I need the guy who is going to play fast, hit hard and take advantage of opportunities. Right now I think that's probably Will Harris, but we'll have to watch it play out to be sure.

━━
DEPTH LB: D'Marco Jackson, Monty Rice, Khaleke Hudson (Jaylan Ford)
Why: The rookie Ford is in parentheses because I don't expect him to play, and that's a bummer for a rookie who will probably land on the practice squad. But I do think there's at least one roster spot available for the other three players listed. Rice and Jackson have dealt with some poorly timed injuries, so that might open the door for the veteran Hudson who has looked good in his opportunities.

My guess: If you're wondering why Anfernee Orji isn't on the list, that's because I think he's already made the roster and I don't see this as being a high-pressure game for him. Jackson would be my pick in a vacuum, but it'll depend on how significant his calf injury is that he went down with on Thursday. Otherwise I'd call it a toss up between Rice and Hudson.

━━
DEPTH CB: Rico Payton, Shemar Jean-Charles, Rezjohn Wright and Joejuan Williams
Why: At the start of camp I wouldn't have said the most likely outcome was these players competing for a practice squad spot, but injuries to Marshon Lattimore and Kool-Aid McKinstry might have made keeping an extra outside corner or two a necessity. It'll depend on the return outlook for those two players, but I think at least one of the names listen above will make the roster.

My guess: You brought in Joejuan Williams for a reason, and he's certainly got the pedigree to make this thing interesting if he can have a strong showing. Otherwise I really like what I've seen from Rico Payton and his development throughout camp. Realistically I see this as a tossup.

━━

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