3 Players to Watch at Saints Camp Day 9

After another dominant defensive performance in New Orleans Saints training camp Day 8, the focus turns to the offense to make a rebound.

It was all defense on Friday with impressive performances across the board during New Orleans Saints training camp. Outside of a couple of big connections in the play action portion of Day 7, the offense will be looking to bounce back on Saturday. All eyes will be on the quarterbacks, a player returning from a couple days of rest and the play-making pass-catcher that always seems to show up in big moments.

Aug 1, 2023; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) during training camp at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

QB Derek Carr

Part of being a good NFL quarterback is managing adversity. Friday may have been the day in camp that he was presented with the most challenges. The defense was flying all over the field, passes were not coming out of his hand the way he would like and even one pass was batted at the line of scrimmage by defensive tackle Khalen Saunders. 

Now, everyone gets to see how he bounces back from that adversity. Will he hit the field with an aggressive demeanor looking to attack? Or will the team's defensive advantage continue to weigh? We are willing to bet the first, especially with the expected return of a major weapon.

WR Michael Thomas

Thomas should be back Saturday after two days of rest. The team was off on Thursday and he received a veteran's rest day on Friday. So, with a recharged battery, Thomas could be back on the field with a lot of energy and freshness.

He and cornerback Marshon Lattimore have been having an impressive battle throughout camp thus far. On top of his assisting Carr in a rebound day, that heavyweight bout will be firmly in everyone's focus. Can Thomas help the offense bounce back and get his punches in with the battle against Lattimore waging on?

TE Juwan Johnson

Need someone in a big moment? Johnson is the guy. With the rebound mentality likely pervasive across all of the offensive playmakers, the big tight end should be a constant target. Along with the rest of the tight end room, Johnson has been having a great camp thus far. We expect him to be heavily involved today for Carr and the other signal callers as a safety blanket but also a middle of the field threat.