Who’s up and who’s down going into Week 1? Some New Orleans Saints players made more of their opportunities than others during training camp and the preseason games, and they’re going into Sunday’s season opener with the Tennessee Titans carrying expectations that reflect it.
Here’s a quick look at which players have their stock on the rise and others who are trailing ahead of Week 1:
Stock Up: DE Payton Turner
Turner enjoyed a very strong summer — he consistently won his matchups at training camp practice and looked the part in the Saints’ preseason games. It’s exactly what he’s needed to show after a couple of frustrating seasons to start his career. If the light has come on and he’s ready to be a big contributor off the edge, well: that could have huge ramifications for the Saints not just in 2023 but in 2024 and beyond. They badly need a long-term successor for Cameron Jordan. It’s too soon to say that Turner will be that guy but he looks more like that heir now than he did during the last two years.
Stock Down: WR Tre'Quan Smith
Smith has not had a great summer. He was injured in early August and had to travel to Philadelphia for surgery with a groin muscle specialist. He missed all three preseason games recovering and hasn’t had a chance to compete while other veterans like Keith Kirkwood and young teammates like A.T. Perry were making plays. His status for Week 1 is in jeopardy while he remains on the mend. With three other receivers available and hungry for snaps on the practice squad, he risks getting pushed out of his role.
Stock Up: CB Paulson Adebo
Adebo winning the starting job from Alontae Taylor was a major reason behind the Saints trading Bradley Roby; they want Taylor on the field, even if he’s actively learning a new position in the slot, and Adebo has played too well outside to bench (and he doesn’t really have the best skill set to move to the slot himself, with tight hips and choppy feet that could get him in trouble against smaller, quicker receivers). He’s done a great job using the sideline to his advantage to corral opponents inside and he hasn’t been panicking on passes thrown over his head like we’ve seen before.
Stock Down: RB Kendre Miller
We’ll have a better idea of Miller’s availability once the initial injury report is released Wednesday, but it’s not a great sign that a hamstring issue sidelined him last week after he was held out throughout the summer with a knee injury. He’s done well with his chances in preseason — especially the second game with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he flashed his skills as both a runner and receiver — but he must stay healthy so he can help this team.
Stock Up: DT Bryan Bresee
The rookie first-round pick has been the talk of the town, at least as far as his teammates are concerned. He was very disruptive throughout the summer and did a great job shedding blocks to get in the backfield. Head coach Dennis Allen cautioned about complimenting rookies too often, but Bresee has earned it after a strong start in preseason. Let’s see him do it in a meaningful game on Sunday.
Stock Down: QB Jake Haener
Haener’s fourth quarter against the Houston Texans ended any speculation that the Saints could look to trade Jameis Winston and make the rookie their primary backup — at least this season. He was too careless with the football in that last preseason game and threw too many interceptions to justify a promotion. The good news is that he enjoyed some very productive practices at training camp and now he knows what he can and can’t get away with against NFL defensive backs. The bad news is he won’t get to throw many passes at practice in the fall with Derek Carr running the offense and Winston leading the scout team each day.
Stock Up: TE Juwan Johnson
Johnson emerged as one of Derek Carr’s favorite targets over the summer, and it’s easy to see why — he shares many of the athletic traits that Darren Waller found success with as Carr’s top option. Carr targeted Waller 7.3 times per game in four years with the Raiders and Johnson may be in line for a similar workload. He broke out last season with 42 receptions for 508 yards and 7 touchdown catches, but he’s poised to improve on those numbers with an upgrade at quarterback.
Stock Down: LG Andrus Peat
Peat was sidelined early in training camp with a quad injury, but he didn’t return to find a spot waiting for him in the starting lineup. He’s taken snaps on the second-team offense with James Hurst starting between Trevor Penning and Erik McCoy and that appears to be his role in what may be his last year with the team. Coming off the bench might be good for him. Injuries have been a problem for Peat throughout his career and a reduced role could limit his exposure to injuries and allow him to do what he does best: get out in space and throw smaller players around. But that can’t be what he expected when he agreed to a reworked contract early this year.
