Last week’s matchup against the Houston Texans certainly didn’t end the way the New Orleans Saints would have preferred, but winning isn’t everything in the preseason. There were plenty of young players that stood out and helped themselves with solid showings and can inch their way closer to a roster by showing out again against the Green Bay Packers on Friday night. Here are four position battles to watch as players take another step to concluding:
Linebacker: Chase Hansen vs. Eric Wilson vs. Nephi Sewell
Hansen made highlight reels when he caught an interception that was tipped up by Eric Wilson, but that wasn’t his only contribution to winning football during the game. He was a constant playmaker when he was on the field, finishing with six tackles and two of them ending in a loss of yards. The Saints linebacker corps has a log jam and a huge battle between a lot of players in that have not established themselves yet in the NFL. Fellow veteran Wilson and rookie out of Utah Nephi Sewell also had solid showings, making this battle one to watch again against the Packers.
Running back: Abram Smith vs. Dwayne Washington vs. Tony Jones Jr.
Smith did have a lost fumble, but he also led the team in total yards AND yards per carry. The assumed leader for the third running back role Dwayne Washington also had a fumble, but did recover it. We spoke about Smith needing a solid debut, and he followed through enough to warrant a second look in the second preseason game. He showed off his physicality, often putting his head down and getting extra yardage after contact. He and his position battle mates Washington and Tony Jones Jr. all three came down with a catch during the game, giving us another aspect to watch against the Packers.
Wide receiver: Dai'Jean Dixon vs. Kevin White vs. Kirk Merritt
The New Orleans native and Nicholls alum rookie Dai’Jean Dixon led the team in receptions during the first game and could certainly use another solid showing to try and get to the final roster this week. He had a very solid play adjusting and coming back to catch a ball from Ian Book for a 17 yard catch on 3rd and 13. With fellow competitor Easop Winston Jr. being cut earlier this week it certainly seems that he is inching closer to his goal, but can’t afford to take his foot off of the gas yet.
Safety: Justin Evans vs. Daniel Sorensen
Justin Evans was one of the players that really surprised me during the game last week, and not only during his interception. He was everywhere it seemed on defense and looked like one of the best options when it comes to defensive back depth. His two tackles didn’t tell the whole story during week one. Evans was a former second round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had injury issues that kept him off of the field. If he gets anywhere back near the level that warranted a high draft pick he could figure to be huge for the Saints depth.
