Taking stock of the Saints roster battles after OTAs and mandatory minicamp: Who's winning? (2024)

For a veteran-laden team, the New Orleans Saints have multiple spots up for grabs.

That was apparent throughout the spring when players and coaches gathered for organized team activities and mandatory minicamp. NFL coaches love roster battles, and Dennis Allen is no exception. The competition will only heat up further once the Saints start training camp next month in California.

Until then, let’s take a look at some of the most competitive battles on the Saints’ roster and see if there’s anyone leading the race:

Backup quarterback: Jake Haener vs. Spencer Rattler vs. Nathan Peterman

Who’s winning?: Rattler got his first taste of running with the second team near the end of mandatory minicamp, but that wasn’t enough to top Haener's work so far. Haener, a 2023 fourth rounder, has had an impressive offseason and has seemed to pick up Klint Kubiak’s system quite well. This battle is far from over, and Rattler improved as the spring progressed. With apologies to Peterman, the veteran journeyman only threw a handful of passes in the portion of practices open to reporters. He’s a distant fourth in this race.

Unless Haener dramatically underwhelms in the preseason, it would be hard to imagine the backup job behind Derek Carr going to anyone else.

Left guard: Nick Saldiveri vs. Shane Lemieux vs. Lucas Patrick vs. Oli Udoh

Who’s winning?: The Saints have Saldiveri focused solely at guard this offseason, and he’s responded by seizing almost all the team’s starting reps. Allen said Saldiveri’s work has helped him to better condition his body, and indeed Saldiveri says he has been adhering to a strict diet.

The interesting wild card in this race, however, is Udoh. The former Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman, signed this offseason, has starting experience at guard and tackle. But the Saints have been cagey on which position Udoh will spend most of his time once he’s fully healthy. Allen said Udoh, who has been limited to individual work as he recovers from a torn quad, could possibly compete at left guard, but no decision has been finalized.

The third wide receiver spot: A.T. Perry vs. Cedrick Wilson vs. Equanimeous St. Brown

Who’s winning?: This is a wide-open race and could come down to the wire in training camp. All three have had their moments and it’s hard to tell who’s in the lead because the Saints like to rotate their wide receivers in practice even when the rest of the starting unit is on the field. That said, Wilson’s work with Carr and the starters has been noticeable. He gives the Saints size and could be a good contrast to Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, the clear No. 1 and No. 2 receivers.

As our Luke Johnson noted, the Saints’ coaching staff has hesitated to overly praise Perry. The 2023 sixth-round wideout has hauled in some tough catches this offseason, including last week’s spectacular reception in the end zone. But New Orleans appears to want more out of him, leaving the third spot open for now.

St. Brown also remains a factor, but his best work has come working with Haener and the backups. The former Bears wideout, though, seems to have a clear leg over others such as fifth-round rookie Bub Means and Stanley Morgan (injured).

Linebacker: Pete Werner vs. Willie Gay vs. Khaleke Hudson

Who’s winning: The Saints brought in Gay and Hudson this offseason specfically as competition for Werner, the starting linebacker who is entering the last year of his contract. Werner has responded to the challenge. He’s had an aggressive spring and impressed on a sequence in which he stopped several runs in the backfield. In nickel, a formation that involves only two linebackers instead of three, Werner has retained his spot so far next to Demario Davis.

Gay has cracked the field with the starters in three-linebacker sets. He could also theoretically see more playing time depending on the matchup, such as if he has to spy mobile quarterbacks. Linebacker is a deep spot for New Orleans and several backups roles are also up for grabs with rookie Jaylan Ford, D’Marco Jackson and Nephi Sewell (coming off a torn ACL) also in the mix.

Safety: Johnathan Abram vs. Jordan Howden

Who’s winning: This battle could depend on what package the Saints choose to deploy. Abram, 27, has seemed to get more play with the starters, but Howden has come in on packages like nickel and dime. Last year, Howden emerged as a pleasant surprise when he filled in for Marcus Maye. But his playing time dwindled as the season progressed with Abram starting the last two games. This spot figures to remain competitive for the rest of the summer.

“Jordan for being a young player is highly intelligent,” Allen said. “And I think Johnathan Abram, that’s how he’s been able to sustain himself in this league is through using his intelligence and his brain. I think that can be a decent little group of guys back there in terms of the safety position.”

Specialists: (kicker) Blake Grupe vs. Charlie Smyth and (punter) Lou Hedley vs. Matthew Hayball

Who’s winning: The incumbents seem to have the edge thus far. There’s still plenty of time, of course, for that to change. But Grupe has been the more consistent kicker than Smyth, the Irish rookie who has a big leg but has missed a few kicks in practice. Hedley also seems much sharper than a year ago, when he ranked statistically near the bottom of the league in several punting categories.