Saints Tight End Position Sure To Grab Attention In Training Camp

The Saints tight end outlook at training camp brings some questions to the table.

Dec 17, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (83) is congratulated after a touchdown against the New York Giants during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The Saints are making some of their final preparations before they ship off to California for training camp on Tuesday. Once Wednesday gets here, we're in full blown practice and camp mode for roughly six weeks, seeing what type of team New Orleans can produce with hopes of getting back into the postseason.

There's just three more spots to look at for the Saints offense, as we're going to break up the interior line and tackles into separate articles. The focus is on the tight end room for this piece, which has an interesting outlook and has their fair share of questions to answers.

Saints Position Previews: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver

Saints Training Camp Position Preview - Tight End

Nov 5, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker Jack Sanborn (57) makes a diving tackle at the ankle of New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (83) during the second half at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Depth Chart: Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, Taysom Hill, Dallin Holker, Michael Jacobson, Tommy Hudson, Jesper Horsted

Biggest Storyline: Juwan Johnson's Health and Availability

After some discomfort that was discovered in practices, Juwan Johnson was shut down in mid-June to have surgery on his foot. He was placed on the PUP list on Thursday, and we don't expect to see him anytime soon. As we get deeper into training camp, perhaps the second or third week, we'll start looking for him.

Johnson appeared in 13 games last year, missing Weeks 4-7 and then returning to the lineup against the Colts. He had a very up-and-down season, ending the year on a high note after being challenged by the coaching staff late in the season. Big things were expected from him last season, and now he's facing a contract year in New Orleans.

If things do go south or take longer than what's expected, then this will really be an area the Saints have to get a strong solution. Johnson has the potential to be special in the offense, but faces a little bit more of an uphill battle after the surgery.

Biggest Camp Battle: Dallin Holker vs. The Depth

Holker has a strong outlook for a roster spot right now, and he'll get plenty of opportunities with Juwan Johnson not in the lineup. We obviously don't want to forget about Foster Moreau either, who was a frequent and active target without Johnson there. He'd assume top duties when practice starts.

Dallin Holker absolutely is the frontrunner right now ahead of the others behind Johnson and Moreau, but I am interested to see more of Michael Jacobson, who made a couple of plays during practices. He certainly has the best outlook out of any of the other players behind Holker, and one other thing we'd want to know from the Saints is whether or not they look at Jimmy Graham any.

Jesper Horsted was a late addition to the team, and he does have familiarity with Derek Carr from his final season with the Raiders in 2022. He's a converted wide receiver, but has been third on the tight end depth chart for the past two seasons in Las Vegas. Tommy Hudson spent most all last season with the Saints on the practice squad last year and got a reserve/future deal from the team. He didn't exactly see a ton of action in OTAs and minicamp, but we'll be looking out for him as well.

Wild Card: Dallin Holker

The undrafted rookie caught plenty of eyes during OTAs and minicamp, and now he's going to be put in the spotlight even more. Holker already had a good outlook for making the final roster, but now those chances go up. He was making several big plays in practices, and they were big ones. Tight ends coach Clancy Barone joked that he was the team's 8th Round pick, and you can see why. Holker is exciting to watch and has a major opportunity ahead of him.

Early Roster Projection

We'll bet on Juwan Johnson being ready to go for the season opener, but we just have to see how this plays out. As always, the Saints will be cautious with him when he does return to action. We'd project Johnson, Moreau and Holker all to make the final roster, and we'll count Taysom Hill in here, but we know he's going to have a few different roles.

One element to this group this year that can't be overlooked is their blocking ability with Klint Kubiak's offense. They'll have a big hand in run blocking assignments to ensure success for the Saints offense. If this group can produce, then New Orleans could be a more consistent offense that could lead to more wins for Dennis Allen and the Saints.