3 Players to Watch at Saints Camp Day 4

It is all about Derek Carr, an underrated defender and a pair of rookies for the final day of Saints training camp Week 1.

The final day of New Orleans Saints training camp Week 1 is upon us. After watching the offense and defense go back and forth for the first three days, it has been a combination of offensive skill position players and linebackers who have shined. Today, the attention turns to the Saints' leader on offense, a thus far unheralded cornerback and a rookie defensive lineman looking to make a splash.

Jun 13, 2023; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes to running back Alvin Kamara (41) during minicamp at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

QB Derek Carr

Not that we have been ignoring Carr by any means, but revisiting him for the last day of the first week is intentional. He has had a fantastic week with the teams. No turnovers, no glaring learning curves or missteps. Things have been going about as swimmingly and smooth as things can for a quarterback with his new team. Carr has run not only with the standard first team each day, but rotating players along the offensive line and at every skill position. That is an important layer to highlight considering how much the Saints like to rotate their playmakers.

Watching Carr wrap up the first week with another strong performance would lead them into the day off with a ton of confidence on that side of the ball. But as Carr said himself, the defense does not make it easy.

CB Isaac Yiadom

Much like wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, Yiadom is much more than a special teams player. He has shown consistently throughout minicamps, OTAs and now the first week of training camp that he is a viable option at cornerback. Likely depth, of course with the talent ahead of him at the position. But that should not stop folks from seeking out No. 27 on the field. 

Head coach Dennis Allen said in his pre-training camp presser on Tuesday that he believes there are several cornerbacks on the roster that could be starters across the NFL. Yiadom and Troy Pride Jr. are among the group that we believe he is referencing. Yiadom has been taking second-team snaps at outside corner, meaning he gets to match up with some talented players even if he is not working with the starters.

DE Isaiah Foskey

Breaking the rule of not listing linemen until pads come on, but it feels worth it for Foskey. Mostly taking snaps with the third team right now, his opportunities to shine are limited. Which means that a concerted effort of watching him would be to his benefit. He has mostly been lining up over left tackles throughout camp, meaning he is getting to be the blindside rusher with his unit.

If Foskey can show one or two explosive moments throughout Saturday's practice, it might lead to a further boost in confidence once the pads go on next week. He is a noted pass rusher from his collegiate days, but if he pops off in the run game, that certainly will not be discounted from his credit.

Little Bit of Lagniappe: WR A.T. Perry

Just a quick note here. If the Saints decide to entertain the fans with some one-on-ones between wideouts and corner, Perry will be worth a watch. Throughout minicamp and OTAs, the conversations around the rookie receiver were all centered around him needing to show that he could make contested catches.

If one-on-ones get under way and he creates some big moments, it could lead to a confidence boost that translates into more production and opportunities in team drills.