Unveiled: Saints' Full Depth Chart for Opening Week Showdown With Panthers

Saints announce their first unofficial depth chart of the regular season and their Week 1 matchup against Carolina.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks to pass against the Carolina Panthers / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers square off in a battle of NFC South rivals to open Week 1 of the NFL season. New Orleans will host this game, scheduled for a noon Central time kickoff and televised on FOX.

Carolina is coming off a 2-15 finish last season, worst in the NFL. The Saints had a 9-8 record in 2023, their third straight year without a playoff berth. New Orleans has a 31-28 edge in the all-time series between these teams, including a 16-14 mark at home against the Panthers.

On Tuesday, the Saints released their first unofficial depth chart for Sunday's matchup.

SAINTS OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) catches a deep pass against the Carolina Panthers / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback

• Derek Carr
• Jake Haener OR Spencer Rattler

Running Back

• Alvin Kamara
• Jamaal Williams
• Jordan Mims

Fullback

• Adam Prentice

WR1

• Chris Olave
• A.T. Perry
• Bub Means

WR2

• Rashid Shaheed
• Cedrick Wilson
• Mason Tipton

TE1

• Foster Moreau
• Juwan Johnson

TE2

• Taysom Hill
• Dallin Holker

Left Tackle

• Taliese Fuaga
• Landon Young

Left Guard

• Lucas Patrick
• Nick Saldiveri

Center

• Erik McCoy
• Lucas Patrick

Right Guard

• Cesar Ruiz
• Landon Young

Right Tackle

• Trevor Penning
• Olisaemeka Udoh

Obviously, a few interesting things jump out here. New Orleans will have to declare a Number two quarterback by Sunday's game. However, coach Dennis Allen has still given no hint to who it will be between Haener and the rookie Rattler.

Taysom Hill is going to be used in various ways, but Hill is officially listed as a tight end to open Week 1. He's likely going to see more snaps out of the backfield than anywhere else, but this may be of most importance to fantasy owners.

Foster Moreau listed over Juwan Johnson may be surprising to some. It shouldn't be. Johnson will see more snaps between the two, but Moreau often got the start in base formations a year ago.

SAINTS DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) is pressured by Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56) and defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (90) / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Right Defensive End

• Carl Granderson OR Chase Young
• Isaiah Foskey

Defensive Tackle

• Khalen Saunders
• Khristian Boyd

Defensive Tackle

• Nathan Shepherd
• Bryan Bresee
• John Ridgeway III

Left Defensive End

• Cameron Jordan
• Payton Turner

Weakside Linebacker (WILL)

• Pete Werner
• Anfernee Orji

Middle Linebacker (MIKE)

• Demario Davis
• D'Marco Jackson

Strongside Linebacker (SAM)

• Willie Gay Jr
• Anfernee Orji
• Jaylan Ford

Left Cornerback

• Paulson Adebo
• Alontae Taylor
• Rico Payton

Strong Safety

• Jordan Howden
• J.T. Gray

Free Safety

• Tyrann Mathieu
• Will Harris

Right Cornerback

• Marshon Lattimore
• Kool-Aid McKinstry

Expect the Saints to rotate their defensive line and use several different combinations up front. It is interesting to see Saunders listed so highly on the depth chart. He's been dealing with a leg injury that some reports indicate could sideline him for a few weeks.

Surprisingly, Howden has been listed over Harris as a starting safety. Harris was getting most of the 1st Team reps towards the end of preseason. This is a job still awaiting one player to separate themselves from the other.

No surprises at cornerback. However, I'll be interested to see how the Saints use their corners in different situations. Expect Taylor to be the fifth defensive back, but Lattimore, Adebo, and Taylor can all do different things to help the defense disguise their looks.

SPECIALISTS

New Orleans Saints place kicker Blake Grupe (19) kicks an extra point against the Carolina Panthers / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Punter + Holder

• Matthew Hayball

Kicker + Kickoffs

• Blake Grupe

Longsnapper

• Zach Wood

Punt Returner

• Rashid Shaheed
• Mason Tipton

Kick Returner

• Rashid Shaheed
• Jamaal Williams

No surprises here, either. Shaheed dealt with a foot injury the last few weeks of training camp. It'll be worth watching if he is recovered enough to take on his normal return duties. Jordan Mims handled several kickoffs during the preseason, while Cedrick Wilson saw some punt return action.

It's also worth noting that Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football is reporting that Taysom Hill was added to the list of Saints Team Captains this year.