The Top Position Battles For Saints Training Camp

What are the top position battles that we're looking forward to seeing in Saints training camp?

The Saints will have their rookies report starting on July 18, with the veterans set to join them a week later. That means camp will officially start on July 26, and we couldn't be more excited. We recently posed 25 questions for the Saints heading into training camp, and it's time to start diving into some of them.

What are the top position battles of Saints training camp?

We'll undoubtedly explore this more in depth as we get closer to training camp, but there's a few areas that feel like they'll have a lot more eyes than others. We will also explore some of the more individualized battles too. However, here's some positions we'll want to keep a close watch on.

Wide Receiver

The first few spots feel pretty set in stone, and that's assuming that Michael Thomas is back to at least a shell of his old self. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed will join Thomas as the top trio, but after WR3, things get a little bit interesting for the Saints. The competition promises to be both interesting and intriguing, as New Orleans has one of their best outlooks at the position in quite some time.

Veterans Tre'Quan Smith and Keith Kirkwood will undoubtedly look to keep the likes of Bryan Edwards and James Washington at bay, but that won't be an easy task. Kawaan Baker has been around, but really hasn't done more than be a special teams presence. Rookies Shaq Davis and A.T. Perry will have to come along quickly to help their case. Late adds like Lynn Bowden Jr. and Keke Coutee could make the return aspect a little more intriguing.

Secondary

The biggest storyline will be Paulson Adebo vs. Alontae Taylor. Adebo should be the starter opposite of Marshon Lattimore until he's not. Taylor is playing with a ton of confidence, and has been working in the slot to improve his skillset. The depth at corner continues to be a strong suit for the Saints defense, so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out when the season rolls around. We could also see a rotational approach like in previous years with Adebo and Taylor splitting some series.

However, things don't stop there for New Orleans. The safety depth is plentiful, and aside the top three on the depth chart with Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye, and J.T. Gray, it's a guessing game on who will emerge as the favorites to be behind them. Last year saw the team keep six safeties on the final roster, and while movement on the squad is fluid, it might give us a good indication of how many spots are up for grabs.

Johnathan Abram, Lonnie Johnson Jr., Ugo Amadi, Smoke Monday, and rookie Jordan Howden are all going to be battling for a roster spot. Whoever excels in special teams the most will likely get the nod here.

Picking Up Steam

John Hendrix - Saints OTAs, May 30

• Offensive Line - Things are far from settled here, especially given the injuries that New Orleans typically has to deal with along the line. In particular, the left tackle spot is what we're really monitoring with Trevor Penning. However, players like Nick Saldiveri are expected to provide some good competition. Protecting Derek Carr is going to be the top priority for the Saints, and it'll be interesting to see what the final product looks like.
• Defensive Interior - The roster turnover along the interior will be what the pay attention to most, as free agent additions Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd looking to bring more stability there. Bryan Bresee, the team's first-round pick, will also be someone to watch closely when the pads come on. The Saints like his versatility along the line.
• Linebacker - The big question revolves around who ends up being the next Kaden Elliss. We're expecting D'Marco Jackson to take a big second-year leap, but it won't stop there. Can undrafted rookies Nick Anderson and Anfernee Orji crack the squad? Can Zack Baun make something more of himself in a contract year? There's a lot of players here with some potential, but we also wouldn't be shocked to see the Saints add here.
• Special Teams - We've previously pointed out our expectation that Wil Lutz and Blake Gillikin will have a legitimate battle in camp with Blake Grupe and Lou Hedley. Grupe feels like he has the best outlook right now. Even if he can't beat out Lutz, he has a real opportunity to latch on elsewhere if he can keep things going.