Which Saints Player Most Excited to See At Training Camp

Who are some Saints players we're most excited to see when Saints training camp starts?

Author:
John Hendrix
Updated:
Jun 26, 2022 10:38 AM EDT
Original:
Jun 26, 2022

We're nearly out of June, and Saints training camp will be here before we know it. Rookies will report on July 19, and the veterans will join them a week later. We should expect a practice schedule by mid-July, and practices should start towards the end of the month.

This is undoubtedly a very quiet spot on the NFL calendar leading up to camp, but the anticipation is there with each passing day. There's a lot of reason for optimism for the Saints in 2022, and our Saints News Network Team got together recently to weigh in on the player they're most excited to see at training camp.

USATSI_18414826_168388561_lowres — Jun 2, 2022; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints Jameis Winston (2) works on passing drills during organized team activities at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Brendan Boylan - Jameis Winston

Less than 8 months ago, Jameis Winston suffered an ACL injury and additional damage to his MCL. And though just a few weeks ago Winston joined his Saints teammates for OTAs and minicamp, I am excited to see Winston not only return to full health, but see how quickly he can build chemistry with a much improved receiving corps.

New Orleans showed how much belief they have in Winston on draft day by not selecting a quarterback. Training camp should be a good indication whether their belief/investment will pay off in 2022.

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

Bob Rose - Chris Olave

Olave and Trevor Penning are essentially tied in my mind because both are expected to fill extremely important roles. I'll go with Olave because I've wanted him in a Saints uniform since the beginning of the 2021 collegiate season.

This kid has All-Pro written all over him, in my opinion. He has a rare combination of route precision and gamebreaking deep ability. Olave is an extremely smooth receiver who should make an immediate impact for Jameis Winston and the New Orleans offense.

USATSI_18536669_168388561_lowres — Jun 14, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) during passing drills during minicamp at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle T. Mosley - Jameis Winston

Besides the excellent acquisitions of WR Jarvis Landry and S Tyrann Mathieu, Winston's return from his ACL injury is a major headline for me. It's what Hollywood loves. A sports leader recovers from hardship and responds to lead his team to glory. All hasn't played out yet, but Jameis Winston's return will be a fascinating narrative this season.

There's plenty of candidates to choose from here, and Winston and Olave are easily at the top of the list. Offense is certainly what grabs a lot of attention, and rightfully so when it comes to the Saints. They had a really rough time last season, to say the least, and certain areas of their roster were given the proper attention in the offseason.

Defense is where I'm most intrigued, and for that reason the picks have to be Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye. New Orleans lost their two main guys in Marcus Williams (Ravens) and Malcolm Jenkins (retirement), and those are two big shoes to fill. Mathieu brings an element that has been seemingly missing from the Saints defense, while Maye has some real versatility and a lot to prove coming off an Achilles injury.

How this tandem works in correlation to the corners and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the slot will be intriguing. There's going to be a lot to pay attention to in camp, and it can't get here soon enough.