Biggest Storylines and What We Want To See At Saints OTAs

It's that time of the year where we get to see a little bit more of the Saints, and here's some things that we should be looking for.

Jun 2, 2022; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints Chris Olave (12) during organized team / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday sees the Saints coming together for OTAs, which means we're one major step closer towards actual practices. New Orleans will take the field and conduct some on-field practice sessions, and there's going to be plenty of things we pay attention to as it all unfolds. Here's some of what we're looking for and the major storylines to follow for the next several weeks.

WHAT ARE OTAS?

OTAs, or Organized Team Activities, kick off Phase Three of the offseason, which consists of four weeks of practices (up to 10 days) for each team without pads. The Saints have theirs on May 21-23, May 28-30, and June 3-6. These will not have live contact and are strictly voluntary. The practices are allowed to have 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills without contact. Mandatory minicamp for veteran players will be June 13-15.

WHO'S ACTUALLY OUT THERE?

Dennis Allen said that attendance was going to be 'pretty good' and Cam Jordan said that there was about 90 percent of the team there. Players like Jordan and Chase Young are rehabbing from surgery, and both have been in the building. Among those we probably won't see on the field that are injury related include Nephi Sewell (ACL surgery), Ryan Ramczyk (knee), Jaylan Ford (sports hernia surgery) and Kool-Aid McKinstry (foot). The verdict is out on Marshon Lattimore, but Dennis Allen's latest update was very encouraging. We also did not see Nathan Latu and Josiah Ezirim suit up during our one practice session, but did see them in the locker room.

NEW COACHES AND PLAYERS

In case you might have forgotten, here's a list of new faces we likely will see more of from the free agent additions: Lucas Patrick, Kendal Vickers, Will Harris, Justin Herron, Shane Lemieux, Equanemious St. Brown, Khaleke Hudson, Oli Udoh, Chase Young, Nathan Peterman, Cedrick Wilson, Stanley Morgan Jr., Willie Gay and Zander Horvath.

We already saw the new offensive coaching additions at rookie minicamp, and we were impressed with what we saw from Klint Kubiak, Andrew Janocko and Keith Williams in particular. Dennis Allen said the feedback he's received initially on the new offensive additions has been outstanding from some of the players. The organization, attention to detail and work ethic have been there with the new installations. We only look forward to seeing more.

EARLY POSITION BATTLES

There's not as many position battles we anticipate as we have had in previous years, but some do exist. Here's a look at some of the big positions up for grabs right now.

• Kicker: Blake Grupe vs. Charlie Smyth
• Punter: Lou Hedley vs. Matt Hayball
• Strong Safety: Jordan Howden vs. Johnathan Abram
• Wide Receiver Depth: Cedrick Wilson, Stanley Morgan Jr., Equanemious St. Brown, Bub Means
• Backup QB: Nathan Peterman, Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler
• Fullback: Adam Prentice vs. Zander Horvath
• Defensive Interior: Jack Heflin, Khristian Boyd, Kendal Vickers

WHO PLAYS AT LEFT GUARD?

The future of Ryan Ramczyk doesn't sound too promising, and the Saints have their replacement in Taliese Fuaga. However, that's not the only big hole on the offensive line right now, as James Hurst retired, which leaves a big opening for the starting left guard position. Oh by the way, we fully expect Trevor Penning to be at left tackle to start.

Returning faces include second-year players Nick Saldiveri and Mark Evans, while veterans Oli Udoh, Shane Lemieux and Lucas Patrick could all be viable options, but it remains to be seen. There's also undrafted rookies, but we'll let them get their feet wet first. One important thing to keep in mind is that we won't get a real gauge on the line until training camp.

MORE ROOKIES

Spencer Rattler, Taliese Fuaga, Khristian Boyd and Bub Means were some of the rookies to stand out at rookie minicamp, but again, we're going off of one small sample size and the second day of actual practice for them. We want to see more of the drafted and undrafted rookies, and they'll surely make their mark in due time. They'll likely be in the shadows while the veterans take centerstage, but they'll be worth keeping an eye on.

MORE SPECIAL TEAMS

I touched on this at rookie minicamp, but special teams will be fascinating to watch over the next few months. New Orleans is going to try to train every player they can for the new kickoff rule, and Darren Rizzi said that we're going to see a variety of body types on these return/cover units, and the Saints are going to work on this more than they have in recent years.