Who stood out at New Orleans Saints training camp this year — for good and for bad? It’s great to see the team’s best stars shining at practice every day, and it’s also important to note who is rising above expectations to make a name for themselves. But we’ve also got to recognize which players didn’t quite rise to the occasion as well as was hoped. With that in mind, let’s recap the Stars, Studs, and Duds from the 2022 Saints training camp:
STAR | WR Michael Thomas
It’s been such a pleasure seeing Michael Thomas return to stardom in training camp. I cannot wait to see him in game action, as he rightfully hasn’t played in the preseason. For now though, we can watch the games at peace knowing that the Saints receiving corps shouldn’t put out as much of a dud performance as last season. I don’t expect Thomas’ production to be right back to an elite level, but it should be plenty high. I expect him to be in the conversation for comeback player of the year, for sure. — Dylan Sanders
STAR | QB Jameis Winston
In any usual NFL camp, if a team’s quarterback throws only two interceptions in 80-plus team drills, it would be the story of the offseason. Unfortunately for Jameis Winston, his reliable production has been overshadowed by other deserving storylines. The return of Michael Thomas, the arrival of Tyrann Mathieu, and the incredible play of Paulson Adebo have all taken their fair share at center stage. But Winston deserve love for his camp performance. Whether throwing underneath or pushing the ball deep, the third-year Saint has consistently made the right decisions and kept the ball out of harms way. All while still finding way to attack the field at all three levels and staying true to the Saints’ lateral passing scheme. — Ross Jackson
STAR | RB Alvin Kamara
Alvin Kamara quietly had a strong camp. There was a larger emphasis on run plays at last year’s camp, and he subsequently didn’t have a large volume of touches. A highlight clip has been circulating of Kamara’s first NFL touchdown against the Chargers; what sticks out most is how astonishingly small he looked entering the league compared to how he looks now. We could see some early growing pains between Kamara and Jameis Winston last season getting him involved in the passing game – though it was probably more symptomatic of the problems on offense last year in general. Adding Thomas, Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry to the offense opens up the backfield and it’ll be nearly impossible to plan against all weapons in the passing game. — Maddy Hudak
STUD | CB Paulson Adebo
Paulson Adebo has answered the call for a step up in his game. The front office both extended Bradley Roby and drafted Alontae Taylor this off-season, meaning Adebo had to earn his playing time. Through training camp and the preseason snaps he has seen, he has looked much improved and flashed some true lockdown potential. Having Lattimore and Adebo both playing at a high level would be absolutely huge for this defense, which may need to do some heavy lifting at times this season. — Dylan Sanders
STUD | CB Bradley Roby
Going into the offseason, it was assumed that there would be a bit of a battle at cornerback opposite Marshon Lattimore. One of the players competing there was veteran corner Bradley Roby, who has been an absolute stud in camp. While Adebo gets a lot of attention, and deservedly so for his multiple pass break ups and physical play, Roby finished camp with six total interceptions. Including a streak of three days in a row with a pick. The former Denver Bronco and Houston Texan was relentless with his physical play all summer and made good on every opportunity he was presented. — Ross Jackson
STUD | CB Bradley Roby
Bradley Roby was a bit out of place and lost in the shuffle last season frankly. He’s made mention during camp how it’s easy to forget he joined the team four days prior to the opener against the Packers, and that he’s now starting to grasp the complex system. It shows. Roby has been nearly invaluable in the versatility he offers to the secondary as depth. He slotted in for Gardner-Johnson while he was out of camp, then when Marshon Lattimore and Alontae Taylor got hurt, he’s stepped in and performed considerably at CB2. I’ve also seen him drop back in split safety coverage a few times throughout camp as well. That makes his six interceptions all the more impressive when you consider how much he’s moved around
Bradley Roby was a bit out of place and lost in the shuffle last season frankly. He’s made mention during camp how it’s easy to forget he joined the team four days prior to the opener against the Packers, and that he’s now starting to grasp the complex system. It shows. Roby has been nearly invaluable in the versatility he offers to the secondary as depth. He slotted in for Gardner-Johnson while he was out of camp, then when Marshon Lattimore and Alontae Taylor got hurt, he’s stepped in and performed considerably at CB2. I’ve also seen him drop back in split safety coverage a few times throughout camp as well. That makes his six interceptions all the more impressive when you consider how much he’s moved around. — Maddy Hudak
DUD | LB Zack Baun
I really hoped that this would be the year for Zack Baun to become more than a special teams contributor, especially with the loss of Kwon Alexander, but to this point he really hasn’t shown much improvement. He has another game to prove his worth, but with some emerging linebackers on the roster this could be his last shot. There was always going to be an adjustment period for him, as his size dictated a different role in the NFL than in college, but there has to be a limit at some point. — Dylan Sanders
DUD | LB Pete Werner
It’s not really about on-field performance, but the offseason as a whole has been a bit of a dud for Pete Werner. Dealing with injuries to the point at which he only participated in 6 of 20 possible camp practices is a big issue. Werner is expected to step into a starting role in 2022 beside Demario Davis but it’s hard now to gauge just how read he can be for that opportunity. He’s a highly skilled player, and I believe the Saints made the right choice to move to him in a starting role instead of being a year too late on Kwon Alexander, but now, the table just isn’t as set as all had hoped for Werner’s next step. — Ross Jackson
DUD | WR Tre'Quan Smith
I’m big on the Year 3 philosophy the team holds drafting certain players, but Tre’Quan Smith is in his fifth season with the team with unfortunately not much to show for it. We saw Marquez Callaway take on a role he really had no business in last season as a second-year player who was undrafted. He’s had a strong, solid camp settling into a more appropriate role. Smith just has never really found his rhythm in the offense. There’s been a few passes in camp that he’s tipped into interceptions, or nearly. It’s a concerning lack of consistency from a receiver that should be more reliable at this stage of his career. — Maddy Hudak
