New Orleans Saints Final 2018 Roster Projection

Following a strong preseason, the New Orleans Saints have until 4:00 PM EST on Saturday to trim their roster down to 53 players.

Following a strong preseason, the New Orleans Saints have until 4:00 PM EST on Saturday to trim their roster down to 53 players. Several position battles for reserve roles still feel unresolved and should give the Saints brain trust some tough decisions. This is a good problem to have though, as New Orleans should boast their deepest and most complete roster in years.

Here’s a final projection for the Saints initial 53-man roster.

New Orleans Saints Final 2018 Roster Projection

Quarterback

Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Taysom Hill (3)

New Orleans stunned the league on Thursday, trading a 2019 third round pick to the New York Jets for Bridgewater. One day he might lead the Saints offense but for now, Bridgewater will serve as the immediate backup to Brees. This transaction nullifies what was a tight race between Hill and Tom Savage.

Savage was held out of the final exhibition game against the Los Angeles Rams, spelling an end to his Saints tenure. Savage played efficiently in the preseason but struggled to keep drives going. He shouldn’t have a problem finding a spot on another roster though.

Hill played great in the final two preseason games, but he cemented his spot on the roster with his special teams play. We likely won’t see Hill on offense this season, but he’ll make plenty of appearances in a variety of special teams roles.

Running Back

Alvin Kamara, Jonathan Williams, Boston Scott, Zach Line (FB) (4)

Mark Ingram (suspension)

Rookie Boston Scott was already likely to make the roster, but against Los Angeles, Scott proved he’s ready to help fill the void left by Ingram’s four-game suspension. Scott gained 68 rushing yards and scored a touchdown on 12 carries, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. New Orleans seems to have found yet another offensive weapon in their sixth-round pick.

Williams remains a better pure runner than Scott however and will see more action in Ingram absence. Williams finished the preseason with 124 rushing yards on 31 carries (4.0 YPC) and two touchdowns.

New Orleans has often kept four halfbacks under head coach Sean Payton. With Ingram missing just four weeks, it should be satisfactory to keep three backs for now and use the roster spot elsewhere. If they do keep four backs, the best candidate could be Trey Edmunds, who was cross-trained at fullback during preseason.

Wide Receiver

Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith, Ted Ginn, Cameron Meredith, Brandon Tate (5)

This is where things start to get difficult for New Orleans. While Tate hasn’t shown much as a receiver, he’s been the strongest returner. Tate was held out of the final preseason game, but in his case, that could mean that his roster spot is already solidified. New Orleans has been seeking a big-play kick returner for years, and Tate could finally be the answer.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see New Orleans keep Austin Carr or Tommylee Lewis as well. Carr could have the edge after showing promise as a slot receiver the last two preseasons. Lewis has had some good moments over the last two seasons, but Carr has displayed better offensive potential.

Tight End

Ben Watson, Josh Hill, Dan Arnold (3)

If veteran Michael Hoomanawanui had been healthier this summer, Arnold would have a much more difficult path to the roster. Arnold is a converted receiver who’s still working on his blocking, but no one else has stepped up behind Watson and Hill. Garrett Griffen saw minimal playing time in the last two games, and undrafted rookie Deon Yelder got little attention in the passing game.

It will be difficult to let go of Hoomanawanui, who was undoubtedly a big reason for the Saints run success last season. However, Watson and Hill are strong blockers too, and New Orleans has a chance to groom Arnold into their future receiving tight end.

Offensive Line

Terron Armstead, Andrus Peat, Max Unger, Larry Warford, Ryan Ramczyk, Jermon Bushrod, Josh LeRibeus, Cameron Tom, Will Clapp (9)

Nine linemen are more than the Saints usually keep, but they don’t have anyone as versatile as Senio Kelemete any longer. Bushrod, LeRibeus, Tom, Landon Turner, and Michael Ola have consistently lined up with the second-team offense. Turner seems like the odd man out in the interior since Tom and Clapp can play multiple interior positions, while LeRibeus has proven himself as a backup.

Ola has spent most of the summer as the backup right tackle and cutting him will leave only Bushrod as the only true tackle behind Armstead and Ramczyk. However, the final spot will likely come down to Clapp and Ola, and Clapp seems too valuable to release to the waiver wire. It’s also risky to subject rookie fourth-round pick Rick Leonard to waivers, but as the third-team right tackle, he possesses less value at this point.

Defensive End

Cameron Jordan, Alex Okafor, Marcus Davenport, Trey Hendrickson, Mitchell Loewen (5)

In past seasons when the Saints had weaker defensive depth, both Al-Quadin Muhammad and George Johnson would have likely made the team. However, Muhammad looks like he could use another year of development on the practice squad and Johnson, now 30 isn’t worth keeping over one of the promising young defenders at other positions.

Defensive Tackle

Sheldon Rankins, David Onyemata, Tyeler Davison, Taylor Stallworth (4)

It’s a tough call between Stallworth and Devaroe Lawrence, who both consistently shined in preseason. Lawrence had the better stat line, but Stallworth better fits the Saints needs. Stallworth is a bigger tackle who could serve as backup nose tackle behind Davison, while Lawrence fits the mold of Rankins and Onyemata. Stallworth would likely see more game action than Lawrence because of this.

Linebacker

Demario Davis, A.J. Klein, Manti Te’o, Alex Anzalone, Craig Robertson, Nate Stupar (6)

Stupar was the only player at risk in this group, but a three-sack, two-takeaway performance against Los Angeles should secure his roster spot. 2015 second round pick Hau’oli Kikaha failed to impress in preseason despite receiving plenty of snaps. New Orleans could hang on to him as a seventh linebacker, but after three seasons of injuries and lackluster play, it seems likely he’ll be released.

Defensive Back

Marshon Lattimore, Ken Crawley, Patrick Robinson, P.J. Williams, Marcus Williams, Vonn Bell, Kurt Coleman, Chris Banjo, Arthur Maulet, Justin Hardee, Natrell Jamerson (11)

Eleven is a lot to keep at defensive back, but there’s a lot of talent worth keeping and several players are key special teamers. Maulet and Hardee both put in impressive preseasons and were special teams playmakers last season. An injury to P.J. Williams gave rookie Natrell Jamerson a lot of opportunities in preseason. The fifth-rounder has been a solid tackler and held his own with the second-team defense.

2018 sixth round pick Kamrin Moore, Linden Stephens, and the elder Marcus Williams all had good moments, but there’s simply too much talent ahead of them. Moore and Stephens are strong practice squad candidates though, and Williams shouldn’t have a problem finding a roster spot elsewhere.