3 Players to Watch at Saints Camp Day 19
METAIRIE -- As the final week of preseason practices roll along, opportunities are arising for players that have been buried on the depth chart. To kick things off, however, the New Orleans Saints made a premium investment (top-100 draft pick) in a young running bak that has shown flashes, and now will look to show consistently. Here are three player we will be keeping a close eye on during Day 19 of Saints training camp.
Aug 20, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (25) runs the ball while defended by Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Deane Leonard (33) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
RB Kendre Miller
After dazzling in the Saints’ preseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers, getting a closer look at Miller is a must. The third-round rookie has dealt with injury throughout most of the off-season so our looks at him have so far been limited, But he does tend to take advantage of the opportunities that he gets.
Sunday’s game was a prime example when he reeled in a 27-yard wheel route down the left sideline in tight coverage. Miller showing off his ability to catch passes out of the backfield is going to be very important to his development and fit with the team. But overall he has to be able to run the ball at better than a 2.3 yards per carry clip. So Wednesday, Miller will be under the microscope throughout practice.
WR Jontre Kirklin
The former LSU product has outlasted veteran wide receivers like Keke Coutee, James Washington, and now the recently waived Bryan Edwards. This speaks volumes to what the Saints believe Kirklin could potentially bring as a versatile, speed threat and special teams contributor. It seems that Kirklin is fitting into the system comfortably and now with additional opportunities on the way he has a real chance to impress and maybe even work himself into a practice squad spot with the team in 2023
S Lonnie Johnson Jr.
Johnson sealed the preseason win agains the Chargers with an interception to close out the game and now his reps are finding their way to the first team in practices. During Tuesday’s practice, he joined safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye taking some early reps as the the third safety on the field. This is an interesting wrinkle introduced to the defensive looks, but also is a small shift from what we have seen before.
Typically, when either Mathieu or Maye are out for a vet rest day for instance, rookie safety Jordan Howden is filling in the for the absent party. That would indicate that Howden would be the next in line behind the starting safeties, and perhaps that has not changed. But as the 53-man roster cutdowns loom, taking the field alongside the starters is a great sign for Johnson and his outlook.
