Saints Youth Will Be Needed To Make Major Contributions

The Saints have a good bit of younger players who will need to play major parts for the 2024 season in order to have success.

Sep 18, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Tony Jones Jr. (34) follows a block by offensive tackle Trevor Penning (70) against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The Saints have missed the postseason three straight years, and the pressure is certainly on Dennis Allen to deliver nothing less than the playoffs by many. New Orleans is going to count on several of their younger players in order to have success in 2024. So, what's their outlook going into the new league year? We aren't going to look at any rookies for this list, and the cut off will be players who are going into their third year in the league.

The Usual Suspects

Jan 7, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) catches a pass against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Clark Phillips III (34) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Olave

There's no denying that Chris Olave is going to be the primary option for the Saints offense this season. The biggest question is how will he deliver on that. He's focused on becoming one of the league's elite, and he has made plenty of highlight reel catches in his first two years in the NFL. The chemistry with Derek Carr will be big here, but there's not many reasons to bet against him having a strong campaign.

Rashid Shaheed

Shaheed might be one of the biggest beneficiaries from the new kickoff rule, but he will surely double as a legitimate receiving threat. Last year saw him improve in most receiving categories over his rookie season, and a second year with Carr coupled with the new Klint Kubiak offense should hopefully unlock even more for the once undrafted rookie.

Alontae Taylor

Taylor's transition to the slot was certainly a mixed bag last season, but one thing defensive coordinator Joe Woods said at minicamp was that he felt like he could have coached him better. Woods said that Taylor understands the position a lot better and that he's much further along this year. For now, Taylor is the main slot guy for New Orleans and will need to show consistency.

Bryan Bresee

Bresee ended up being a breath of fresh air for the Saints first-round draft pick history, appearing in all 17 games for the New Orleans defense and notching 4.5 sacks on the year in his 539 snaps. That was good for third on the team. He was fourth among all defensive linemen for playing time behind Carl Granderson, Cam Jordan and Nathan Shepherd. This season should only see increased work and responsibility for Bresee, who could have a big breakout year.

Making The Leap

Jan 7, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (25) reacts to m aligns. First down against Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III (3) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Haener

While we might not think much of the backup quarterback spot, it's certainly some unfamiliar territory for the Saints going into this season. For the past several years, they've had a clear veteran playing behind the starter, but New Orleans is going to put the responsibility on a second-year player or rookie this season. Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler will be a fun training camp battle to watch, but right now Haener has the leg up and would be the favorite to backup Derek Carr. The goal of the Kubiak offense is to also limit the amount of hits, which should make Carr more available in theory.

Kendre Miller

Miller's work in the season finale against the Falcons showed us some major possibilities, and he figures to be a big beneficiary from the new offensive attack. Naturally, Alvin Kamara will get top billing and Jamaal Williams will get plenty of work, but we should expect Miller to cut into that share more. Staying healthy will be key for his outlook.

Blake Grupe

One of the biggest points to bring up when it comes to Grupe is the fact that he's had an actual offseason, which allows him a better chance to handle his body. He went from college to prepping for the draft through different means and then was put into the camp flow that went into the regular season. He was strong down the stretch for the Saints and didn't miss a single extra point in 2023.

Jordan Howden

We haven't seen much of Howden yet, and that's because he didn't get the 'all clear' yet. He had offseason surgery and was very close during minicamp, but New Orleans wanted to be cautious. The Saints plan to use Howden in the box more this season and being more of a downhill presence. He's obviously a very smart player and adapts well to coaching, and just might get a shot to be the starting safety alongside Tyrann Mathieu, but we'll see how that takes shape in August.

A.T. Perry

Perry put himself on the map after his big catch against the Vikings in Week 10 after not playing in the first seven weeks of the year. In six of his eight appearances in the final half of the season, he made at least one big catch in those contests. He also looks to be a bigger part of the offensive puzzle going into 2024 and has the potential to be a more consistent staple in Klint Kubiak's scheme.

D'Marco Jackson

Jackson is one of those overlooked players, with his contributions to the team rarely being noticed. However, he's an important staple for Darren Rizzi's special teams and even made a few memorable plays last year for the team. It's one of those areas that aren't exactly noticeable until there's a problem, but Jackson should be able to keep things going.

Wait And See

Jan 8, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning (70) looks on against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Trevor Penning

There's a lot riding on the Saints offensive line to deliver this season, especially with the new Klint Kubiak offense being deployed. Having success here is essential to this scheme, and Trevor Penning will play a huge part in that. No matter where he ends up playing, Penning needs to deliver this season. The good news is that New Orleans has given him a clean slate, but it's pivotal season for the former first-round pick to be the right or left tackle they need him to be.

Nick Saldiveri

Saldivieri was always going to get a fair shake at competing to start, something that could be traced all the way back to the Senior Bowl. He's been getting work in as the starting left guard early on, but will obviously face some stiff competition from veterans. He's healthy this year, so he's going to have a big opportunity. Like Penning, we'll know more when we get into training camp.

Isaiah Foskey

We looked at the Saints defensive line recently, which isn't really getting too much love right now, and that's not exactly surprising. A lot of their success will rely on how players like Isaiah Foskey and Payton Turner perform. Dennis Allen said the most important thing for Foskey was for him to 'cut it loose' this season, and he's certainly ready to do so.

Lou Hedley

Both Lou Hedley and Blake Grupe were able to beat out the incumbents as undrafted rookies, as New Orleans went for a different style of punting for 2024. The results, while not visually appealing, spoke for themselves with the Saints finishing first in the league with a 5.6 yards/return average. Hedley has displayed some better punting throughout OTAs and minicamp, so it'll be interesting to see if that trend continues and if he can fend off another fellow undrafted rookie Aussie style punter in Matt Hayball.