There it is: the New Orleans Saints announced their 15-strong practice squad on Wednesday, but it’s important to remember how much of a work-in-progress this will be. For the first point, there’s still one vacancy left to fill. Some players will be swapped out for others in the days and weeks ahead, but many of these names are already familiar to Saints fans — and about half of them were previously reported as having re-signed with New Orleans following Tuesday’s roster cuts.
Let’s run through the group position-by-position:
Tight end (2)
- No. 44 Lucas Krull (rookie)
- No. 88 J.P. Holtz
Krull worked really hard to stand out throughout his first NFL training camp (having signed with New Orleans as an undrafted rookie out of Pitt), so it’s good to see him get more opportunities. Holtz has spent time training at fullback and working on several special teams units.
Tight ends on the current 53-man roster include Adam Trautman, Taysom Hill, Juwan Johnson, and Nick Vannett.
Wide receiver (3)
- No. 84 Dai’Jean Dixon (rookie)
- No. 85 Kirk Merritt
- No. 89 Rashid Shaheed (rookie)
The Saints brought back both of their undrafted wideouts (Dixon, out of Nicholls; and Shaheed, out of Weber State) as well as Merritt, one of their training camp standouts. They provide a nice mix of immediate depth and long-term development at the position.
Other receivers on the current 53-man lineup: Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Chris Olave (rookie), Deonte Harty, Marquez Callaway, and Tre’Quan Smith.
Offensive line (2)
- No. 68 Josh Andrews
- No. 72 Nick Martin
Both of these players are veterans who specialize in lining up at guard or center, and they bring a whopping 4,700 snaps between their two NFL careers thus far. It’s impressive to see the Saints hold onto both of them.
Other interior linemen on the current 53-man roster: Erik McCoy, Andrus Peat, Cesar Ruiz, Calvin Throckmorton, and Tanner Owen (rookie).
Defensive line (3)
- No. 54 Taco Charlton
- No. 57 Christian Ringo
- No. 59 Jordan Jackson (rookie)
The Saints were able to retain Jackson after waiving their rookie draft pick (he was selected in the sixth round out of the Air Force Academy) while bringing back their preseason pressures leader (Charlton) and welcoming back Ringo, who was a free agent. Ringo spent most of the 2021 season with New Orleans but hadn’t signed with a new team after the season ended.
Defensive ends on the current 53-man roster include Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner, Carl Granderson, and Tanoh Kpassagnon; the available defensive tackles are David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, and Kentavius Street.
Linebacker (3)
- No. 40 Chase Hansen
- No. 45 Nephi Sewell (rookie)
- No. 58 Eric Wilson
The Saints brought back the other half of their depth chart at linebacker after everyone cleared waivers and heard any offers from other teams, so it’s good to see so many experienced players back in the fold, as well as a promising rookie who fought hard to earn this opportunity. The only linebacker let go on Tuesday who wasn’t re-signed is Jon Bostic, but stay tuned incase he’s a late arrival.
Linebackers on the 53-man roster as it currently stands: Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Kaden Elliss, Andrew Dowell, and Zack Baun.
Cornerback (2)
- No. 35 Vincent Gray (rookie)
- No. 39 DeMarcus Fields (rookie)
Both of these rookies showed some things to like in preseason and training camp, with Fields spending a ton of time covering the slot. They’re both smart pickups for the coaching staff to work on over the next few months.
Corners on the current 53-man depth chart: Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, Bradley Roby, and Alontae Taylor.
Who wasn't re-signed?
The following players were not signed to the initial practice squad after being released on Wednesday:
- OL Derek Schweiger (rookie)
- DE Nick Lalos (rookie)
- LB Jon Bostic
Additionally, these players were let go during the previous wave of roster cuts and have not been signed:
- RB Abram Smith (rookie)
- CB Brian Allen
- CB Quenton Meeks
- DT Josh Black (rookie)
- OL Derrick Kelly
