Things We're Looking Forward to at Saints Minicamp

There's plenty of things to pay attention to going into mandatory minincamp for the Saints. Here's some of the areas we're watching.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Jun 13, 2022 10:33 AM EDT

This week will be the last major action for the Saints until we get to training camp, as the team is set for a three-day mandatory minicamp starting on Tuesday. If you haven't checked out what all went down at OTAs, then be sure to get caught up.

Here's what to expect from minicamp for the week.

Physicals take place starting on Monday for players, and the practice schedule is from Tuesday-Thursday. Some fans will be in attendance for Tuesday and Wednesday's session, and the media will be around for the final session. Friday is a day off.

Two practices on the field each day that total up to 3.5 hours are allowed, and the second practice is limited to walkthrough activities only. Here's a few things we're looking for throughout the week.

USATSI_16486533_168389760_lowres — Jul 31, 2021; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (22) performs defensive back drills during a New Orleans Saints training camp session at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

VETERANS RETURNING: OTAs were strictly voluntary, and we still got a good bit of the veteran Saints in attendance during the three week stretch. Dennis Allen said that he expects all players to be present this week, and that at least should mean they're in the building. Of course, Allen could provide some excused absences, but players could face a fine for not being in attendance.

Among those who weren't a part of any of the practice sessions open to the media included Taysom Hill, Deonte Harty, Michael Thomas, Bradley Roby, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Marshon Lattimore, Alvin Kamara, Demario Davis, and James Hurst. Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner were in the building, but not on the field. Catching up with some of these players will be a focal point of the week.

STARTING ROTATIONS: These are not going to be set in stone, but we should probably see a little bit more of the early favorites for the first team and subs. Assuming the health is there for some of these players, paying close attention to who starts at what position is something to see. We'll keep an eye on everything, but the offensive line, tight end, and defensive interior will be ones to pay closer attention to.

EARLY DEPTH CHART BATTLES: There's plenty of positions to watch for, especially when we get to training camp. However, the team is pretty stacked at several positions, particularly at safety, wide receiver, and the defensive line. How the Saints piece together their final roster will be intriguing, to say the least.

ROSTER SLEEPERS: There's been a handful of players who have made good early impressions between rookie minicamp and OTAs. This could go a long way for them in the grand scheme of things. Not everyone will make the final roster, but the practice squad is certainly a priority going into the new season.

Pay attention to players like Bryce Thompson, Lucas Krull, Abram Smith, Easop Winston Jr., Justin Evans, Kirk Merritt, and Kaden Elliss. They've had some of the better moments from the past few weeks, and all can keep building on the positive momentum. They aren't the only ones, but some that are certainly early risers.

USATSI_18270091_168388561_lowres — May 14, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) during rookie camp at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

ROOKIE CLASS IMPACT: The draft class is one thing, and we've certainly seen growth from Chris Olave, Trevor Penning, and Alontae Taylor. D'Marco Jackson is seeing more time on special teams, which was certainly his bread and butter from his college days. Jordan Jackson has been around and present, and we'll have to focus more on him.

As far the undrafted class, Abram Smith certainly feels like that best option to make the roster right now, but that doesn't mean that others aren't doing well. Smoke Monday, Lewis Kidd, Sage Doxtater, Daniel Whelan, Lucas Krull, and Dai'Jean Dixon are certainly others to watch. We're still waiting to see Rashid Shaheed officially hit the field, as he's coming off of a torn ACL.

Be sure to keep it tuned to Saints News Network for all of the reaction and analysis from each day of camp.