Predicting the Saints’ initial training camp depth chart on offense

We’re days away from the formal start of New Orleans Saints training camp, so let’s take a look at the depth chart on offense and predict starters, backups, and reserves for every position. This will change as players hit the practice field and climb or fall down the depth chart while the team begins to show its hand. For now, here’s how things stand offensively:

Quarterback

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1. No. 4 Derek Carr
2. No. 2 Jameis Winston
3. No. 14 Jake Haener (rookie)

No surprises here. The pecking-order is established and there aren’t any questions about the starter, unlike in years past. Unless another team suffers a catastrophic injury and seeks to acquire Winston in a trade, Haener should take advantage of the newly-approved third quarterback rule on game days.

Running back

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1. No. 41 Alvin Kamara
2. No. 30 Jamaal Williams
3. No. 25 Kendre Miller (NFI, rookie)
4. No. 26 Eno Benjamin
5. No. 33 Kirk Merritt
6. No. 35 Ellis Merriweather (rookie)

This also seems pretty cut-and-dry; though it’s possible the cluster of Benjamin, Merritt, and Merriweather might be less certain than we’re expecting. Benjamin showed some flashes last season while Merritt has converted to the position from wide receiver, and Merriweather is a long-shot rookie from UMass.

Fullback

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1. No. 46 Adam Prentice
2. No. 47 Jake Bargas

Prentice has the benefit of experience, though Bargas has done well on some other teams in the past. The Saints ask a lot of their fullbacks not just as blockers and runners in short-yardage situations but as pass-catchers, too.

Tight end (Y)

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1. No. 83 Juwan Johnson
2. No. 87 Lucas Krull

Johnson became the team’s leading skills position player in snaps played last season, and he’s still on top of the depth chart at tight end. He’ll continue to draw the lion’s share of targets in that role while lining up all over the formation, but his growth as a blocker only helps him become more of an asset to the offense.

Tight end (F)

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1. No. 82 Foster Moreau
2. No. 86 Miller Forristall (PUP)
3. No. 81 Jesse James

Moreau didn’t miss a beat in practice after finishing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and he should see a big role in the fall as the team’s primary inline tight end. While he figures to be their go-to blocker in that role, his chemistry with Derek Carr as a receiver (totaling 91 catches for 1,107 receiving yards and scoring 12 touchdown receptions as a Raider) should add a new dimension to the Saints offense.

Flex

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1. No. 7 Taysom Hill
2. No. 84 Lynn Bowden

Hill is nominally listed at tight end but he took plenty of snaps at quarterback in the spring, and in practical terms he’s a position-flexible player the Saints like to move around. He’s at his best running the ball but he can block, too, and the coaches have designs on involving him more as a receiver. We’re speculating here, but it’s possible (but unlikely) that Bowden sees some reps in Hill’s versatile role given his background running a wildcat-style offense at Kentucky, though Bowden is probably focused on catching passes and fielding punts.

Wide receiver (X)

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1. No. 13 Michael Thomas
2. No. 11 Bryan Edwards
3. No. 17 A.T. Perry (NFI, rookie)
4. No. 80 Shaquan Davis (NFI, rookie)

Thomas is the primary split end when healthy, though we’ve seen how important it is to hold onto a quality backup. Hopefully Edwards can do that, though it’s possible Perry or Davis can emerge as a reliable option — once they’re past their own minor injuries.

Wide receiver (slot)

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1. No. 10 Tre’Quan Smith
2. No. 18 Keith Kirkwood
3. No. 16 Keke Coutee
4. No. 84 Lynn Bowden

Chris Olave should not be limited to the slot, but the sooner he’s taking more snaps than Smith here the better. We know what Smith is at this point in his career. That can be said for Kirkwood, too. Coutee and Bowden are most likely competing for reps returning punts and kickoffs. If the Saints want to keep Olave’s flexibility in lining up at flanker while upgrading over Smith in the slot, acquiring a veteran like Hunter Renfrow would make sense.

Wide receiver (Z)

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1. No. 12 Chris Olave
2. No. 22 Rashid Shaheed
3. No. 89 James Washington
4. No. 15 Kawaan Baker

This was Olave’s primary alignment last season, but Shaheed’s emergence might push him into other areas like the slot (where he excelled in college but lined up sparingly as a rookie with New Orleans). Washington is a capable backup here, too.

Left tackle

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1. No. 74 James Hurst
2. No. 70 Trevor Penning
3. No. 67 Landon Young

We’ll see whether Penning opens camp on one of the injury lists when veterans report in a few days, but he should be the starting left tackle by preseason. That needs to be the expectation for him after the Saints drafted him last year. At the same time, Hurst has played well enough to where Penning must earn that opportunity rather than have it given to him.

Left guard

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1. No. 75 Andrus Peat
2. No. 66 Lewis Kidd
3. No. 73 Mark Evans II (rookie)

Peat is going to start as long as he’s under contract with New Orleans. Kidd needs to fend off Evans for his roster spot, but don’t be shocked if the Saints cycle other players into the lineup at left guard to generate more competition.

Center

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1. No. 78 Erik McCoy
2. No. 65 Alex Pihlstrom (rookie)

The Saints just released veteran backup Billy Price due to a failed physical and it’s unclear whether they’ll bring in someone to push Pihlstrom, but that should be expected.

Right guard

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1. No. 51 Cesar Ruiz
2. No. 76 Calvin Throckmorton
3. No. 60 Koda Martin
4. No. 65 Nick Saldiveri (PUP, rookie)

Ruiz made big strides last year — now he needs to prove it wasn’t a flash in the pan and keep progressing to earn a long-term contract extension. Throckmorton and Saldiveri should be the top backups (once Saldiveri has recovered from his minicamp ankle injury), though Martin is a competent reserve who can add some competition to the room.

Right tackle

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1. No. 71 Ryan Ramczyk
2. No. 67 Landon Young
3. No. 72 Storm Norton
4. No. 61 Scott Lashley (rookie)

No questions about whether Ramczyk will start — we’re worried about his durability after shoulder and elbow issues slowed him down in recent years, with a nagging knee injury limiting him in practice all season in 2022. Norton is a former starter in the NFL and Lashley has taken a lot of reps in SEC play. one of them could make the roster, though reserve tackle Landon Young has been cross-training on the right side as well. Nick Saldiveri was a college right tackle but the Saints have moved him to guard, for now.