The Saints’ preseason opener has turned into a showcase game, and not just for the obvious names. After joint practices with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans is heading into snap one with position battles and roster bubble players getting the spotlight, and that puts a handful of players squarely on the radar.
Audric Estime is part of that conversation, but he’s not the only one worth watching. There are five more Saints who have a real chance to use this game to change how people see them.
Spencer Rattler sits at the top of the list for a simple reason: this is his stage. Tyler Shough is not playing in the preseason, which leaves Rattler as the focus at quarterback.
It would not be a surprise if he and Zach Wilson each handled a half, with Rattler getting the first half and Hunter Dekkers working in late Saturday. Rattler has put together a strong camp, and his performance has created the kind of buzz that could get another team interested.
Whether New Orleans moves him would likely depend as much on trust in Wilson as the new backup, but Rattler has a chance to raise his value even more. His camp work suggests he’s ready for that moment.
Barion Brown is another name Saints fans should keep locked in. Brown and Lance were the two rookies under consideration here, and Brown gets the nod because he’s been the star of camp and because his return ability can finally show up in a game setting.
He already feels like a roster lock, but one big preseason play would send the fan base into a frenzy. Brown is expected to handle kickoff and punt returns too, which is part of what made him such an exciting addition in the first place.
So far, he’s caught kicks, but he hasn’t returned them yet.
Oscar Delp brings a different kind of intrigue. He arrived in New Orleans with George Kittle comparisons despite modest college production, and camp has been mostly quiet for him.
There hasn’t been much said about him either way. That makes this preseason opener a chance for Delp to show something.
He is not chasing a roster spot or trying to build on a hot camp the way some of the others are. He just needs to stand out.
The interior line battle adds another layer with Vernon Broughton and Christen Miller. Broughton is technically a starter with Bryan Bresee out for the season, but he also missed all of last year because of injury.
That leaves some uncertainty about whether Moore will hold him out with the rest of the starters or give him valuable snaps. If Broughton doesn’t play, Miller becomes even more important to watch.
He has not worked with the first team as often, but he’s expected to be a significant part of the Saints’ interior rotation this season. He may not be the kind of player who jumps off the screen, but the hope is that he can at least occupy blockers and free up others to make plays.
Jayden Price rounds out the group after turning heads throughout camp. Special teams will matter a lot in his roster case, but he’s also drawing attention for what he’s doing on defense.
The STAR role belongs to Jonas Sanker, but Price has still earned some first-team snaps. This preseason game should give him a longer runway to show Saints fans what he can do on that side of the ball.
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