The New Orleans Saints start their 2023 season this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Before we get to game one, let’s take a look at the season as a whole. The Saints have been predicted by some to win the NFC South. That’s not a surprise. Let’s get spicy with some bold prediction.
The addition of Derek Carr comes with elevated expectations for the Saints. The signing also opens the door for the passing game to upgrade and players already on the team get back into form. There’s also a defender who is looking to have the best year of his career.
Saints will have two 1,000-yard receivers
The Saints haven’t achieved this since 2016. Michael Thomas was a part of that duo, and will play the same role in 2023. He was a rookie that year and was second in yards. He had more catches, but Brandin Cooks had more explosive plays and ended with more yards. Replace Cooks with Chris Olave and that sounds like a very likely scenario for the Saints this season. This would elevate the offense well above last season.
Alvin Kamara will catch at least 70 passes
Kamara racking up 70 catches in a season used to be a no brainer. It actually was a low projection. He averaged over 80 receptions over his first four seasons. These past years he hasn’t even been able to crack the 60-catch threshold. That changes this year, even with the three game suspension — he can average 5 receptions per game with Derek Carr throwing to him.
Kamara will display what made him one of the most exciting running backs in the league. He has lined up as a receiver in training camp, and there has been an emphasis to bringing the screen pass back to the team. He will be the biggest benefactor of that effort.
Payton Turner records at least 6 sacks
In his career, Payton Turner has just three sacks. That means he will double his career sack total. Turner has been impressive in practice and preseason games this offseason. He has look particularly impressive when running inside stunts. Turner will be sharing time with Carl Granderson. Look for that to be a very even rotation and Turner to make the most out of his snaps.
