The New Orleans Saints hosted a small crowd of offensive and defensive linemen for pre-training camp tryouts this week, ultimately signing several of them — veteran guards Trai Turner and Max Garcia, as well as, you know, tight end Jimmy Graham. So who else was part of this workout? Why did they catch New Orleans’ interest? Could the Saints still sign them?
Let’s take a quick look at the lineup:
OG Tommy Kraemer
College: Notre Dame (2021)
Relative Athletic Score: N/A
Kraemer, 25, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 309 pounds with 33.5-inch arms — good numbers for an offensive lineman. But the Saints signed two other guards after this tryout, so while he’s on their radar they’ve shown us they prefer other options. He was a college teammate of Ian Book’s and spent the first two years of his career with the Detroit Lions, but ended the 2022 season with a back injury.
DT Forrest Merrill
College: Arkansas State (2021)
Relative Athletic Score: 2.03
Merrill, 26, weighs in at 6-foot and 322 pounds, but with marginal athletic upside. That doesn’t mean he can’t play in this league, but it makes it less likely the Saints will give him another look. He shares an alma mater with Demario Davis and has practiced against the Saints before in joint sessions with the Los Angeles Chargers.
DT Roderick Perry
College: Illinois (2022)
Relative Athletic Score: 2.27
Perry, 25, weighed in at 6-foot-1 and 304 pounds, but he doesn’t move particularly well even for someone that size. He does fit the prototype the Saints have shown they value a little more closely. He played for the Cleveland Browns last year.
DE Kyle Phillips
College: Tennessee (2019)
Relative Athletic Score: 8.30
Phillips, 26, has everything the Saints look for from an athlete with 33.5-inch arms on a 6-foot-3, 277-pound frame. He also brings the speed and agility they look for, as well as real pro experience. If they want a more-experienced player in the rotation than someone like Niko Lalos or Jabari Zuniga, he would make sense.
DE Anree Saint-Amour
College: Georgia Tech (2019)
Relative Athletic Score: 8.72
Saint-Amour, 26, barely hits the threshold the Saints look for at 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds with 32.2-inch arms, but he does qualify. He’s played well for the USFL’s New Orleans Breakers with 30 tackles and 6 sacks last season. He’s worth a look.
DE Kenny Willekes
College: Michigan State (2020)
Relative Athletic Score: 7.26
Willikes, 25, might not have the length the Saints value at 6-foot-3 and 264 with arms measuring just 31.2 inches. He does move well enough to make some plays off the edge though. He was college teammates with Saints linebacker Andrew Dowell and has spent his pro career thus far with the Minnesota Vikings.
