New Faces Impress, Demand Perfection And Bring The Energy In New Orleans Saints Rookie Round-Up Minicamp Takeaways

The New Orleans Saints finally got back out on the football field for rookie minicamp this weekend and the newly added players and coaches made immediate impressions.

May 11, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (18) runs / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

With rookie minicamps under way for the New Orleans Saints, we were given our first looks at some of the newest additions to the team. New coaching staff members, rookies and tryout players were all on the field Saturday getting their early exposures to one another and the system. Here are some of our biggest takeaways from the second day of rookie minicamps concerning some of the standout new faces.

Something to keep in mind while reading through these takeaways is that this is about as early as it all gets in the process. These are impressions before veterans hit the field and the difficultly level grows from several angles.

Quarterback Spencer Rattler: The rookie quarterback looks incredibly confident already out on the field. Taking coaching from both new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and quarterback coach Andrew Janocko, Rattler was able to get in and out of huddles cleanly, read his progressions with consistent and fast tempo and constantly find the open guy, favoring work in the middle of the field. Footwork looked to be the coaching focus during routes on air and other non-team drills. His passes had good velocity and he seems to already have a great connection with fellow fifth-round selection and wide receiver Bub Means. "He's one of them ones," Means said of Rattler. "No cap." Defenses were not massively complex, so stock should still be tempered, but what Rattler had control of looked like a good start. Especially in the decision-making department. He completed 11 of his 12 passes in 7-on-7s and team drills.

Offensvie Tackle Taliese Fuaga: The team's first-round pick is likely to start at right tackle come the season's commencement, but right now the team is a getting a look at him on the left side. It probably is not much to read into, just an opportunity to see what kind of versatility their top investment brings to the table. This is the right time to get that work in as the player numbers are small and no one is solidly implanted anywhere. Ultimately the Saints feel confident that he can play at right tackle as it is, so getting a look at him on the left side may be more about information-gathering than anything else. He looked good, fluid and comfortable in the scheme, particularly in the run game. At Oregon State, he ran much of the same style of offense, which has clearly prepared him for his transition to the league.

Wide Receiver Bub Means: Talk about looking the part, Means' physical presence stood out big time among the group of receivers present. His work over the middle of the field stood out most as well, particularly on post routes where he seemed to always find a way to get to the open areas. He looked the part of a solid hands-catcher on the outside with the ability to stretch the field.

Defensive Tackle Khristian Boyd: The big defensive tackle looked nimble and aggressive right off the jump during today's practice. He was able to fly from the backside of a play to get what looked like it would have been a tackle for a loss on an stretch run to the outside. His quickness off the snap had some inconsistencies here and there, but when he was on it you could see his fight and presence. It can be tough to evaluate the trenches in no-tackle, light-contact environments. But his stregnth is very apparent nonetheless.

Defensive Lineman Trajan Jeffcoat: The former Arkansas defensive lineman is hard to miss on the field thanks to his stature. What was most interesting watching him throughout the day though was his getting work in kick return coverage. The Saints spent a few periods of practice with assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi leading drills around the league's new kickoff rules which he helped to develop.

Wide Receiver Jalon Jones: The Charlotte University quarterback did just about everything but throw the football on Saturday. He was officially trying out as a wide receiver so he ran routes, caught passes, covered kickoffs and even returned kicks as well. Joining a team on a tryout basis is an uphill battle, but when you have several avenues to prove something, it definitely multiplies your opportunities.

May 11, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak looks on / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak: The Saints' new coordinator was very precise and demanding all practice. This introduced and maintained a sense of urgency that felt very different from practices in recent years. His focus was often with the quarterbacks, but he moved about. During offense vs. defense drills, he would relay the play call from the sideline to the quarterback who would walk into the huddle with Janocko present to call the play. Kubiak was very vocal and loud at times, very different from what his on-camera persona may have you believe. "He demands perfection," Means said of Kubiak.

Quarterback Coach Andrew Janocko: One of the most vocal presences of the day came from the team's new quarterback coach. Janocko was constantly in the ears of Rattler and veteran passer Kellen Mond. He would shout reminders to them mid-rep, issue corrections quickly between reps and was a constant presence throughout the day. He comes off, much like Kubiak, as a guy that does not miss on the details.

Wide Receiver Coach Keith Williams: If you were a player looking for a dynamic and energetic leader to be your coach, you would find one that immediately Williams. "Coach Dub", as he is referred to, was without question the most energetic presence on the field Saturday. His adjustments and callouts were loud, clear and brought a valuable intensity to the wide receiver group. He would stop and dap up the entire position group after their reps and continued to challenge them over and over again. Williams looks like he is going to have a great impact on the wide receivers in 2024. Consistent with Kubiak and Janocko, the experienced wideout coach will be demanding a lot from his guys. But his relatability to the unit may be the secret sauce to help it all tie together.