Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
METAIRIE, La. – Mandatory minicamp rolls along and the New Orleans Saints were back out on the practice field for day two of their three-day work period. With the majority of the roster again present and more situational work for the young passers, the building blocks of the team’s offseason process are in full focus.
Fans were back at the facility again in a slightly less hot environment and were fortunate to be able to see the entire practice despite the threat of rain, which set in after the on-field work concluded.
Here are our biggest observations of the day.
Plays Of The Day
Offense
Quarterback Spencer Rattler connected with wide receiver Dante Pettis on a corner route. The Saints’ defense was in man coverage, Rattler caught the defender with his back turned and Pettis ran a great route creating the necessary separation. Rattler’s pass was placed perfectly to allow for a catch and run opportunity.
Defense
Second-year cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry looked fantastic throughout the day. He logged two back-to-back pass breakups. The first was on a pass to wide receiver Brandin Cooks, the second was up against wideout Cedrick Wilson Jr. The Wilson defended pass was the bigger highlight. Rattler looked to connect with Wilson on what would have been his fourth touchdown of the day, but McKinstry remained composed and continued to fight, dislodging the ball. The former Crimson Tide corner has been outstanding this offseason and will only get better with time and a pass rush.
The Quarterback Battle Remains Tight If Numbers Told The Whole Story
Both quarterbacks were again given 16 reps on the day. Tyler Shough’s arm strength continued to stand out, his ability to get the ball downfield in a hurry is truly impressive. But it felt like Rattler’s day was again the stronger of the two. The second-year quarterback looks decisive and quick without locking on to receivers for too long before distributing the pass. The numbers are close between the two quarterbacks, but the play styles have many feeling that Rattler is off to the best start, though Shough isn’t struggling.
New Orleans kept up its rhythm of 9-on-7 drills during this practice.
Spencer Rattler
11/16 with three touchdowns thrown. Rattler is now 21/31 over the two days and 45/59 including OTAs.
Tyler Shough
9/15 with a touchdown. He scrambled on one of his reps, hence having one fewer passing attempt than snap taken. The scramble looked like it could have been a touchdown. He is now 20/31 in minicamps, 42/59 including OTAs.
Situational Work Continued
Head coach Kellen Moore kept the quarterbacks working on situational drills on Wednesday. This time adding down and distance to red zone reps. The result was a challenging exercise in understanding game circumstances while also seeing a shrinking field. Both passers managed the reps responsibly while showing some aggression when the opportunities were present.
Kellen Moore Explains The Lack Of Full Team Drills
While the NFL does permit 11-on-11, full team drills during mandatory minicamp, the Saints have not yet indulged. Instead, they’ve run either 7-on-7 or 9-on-7 drills. Moore explained why after Wednesday’s practice.
“Part of it is just the way OTAs are structured,” he said.”Obviously we’re trying to limit the physicality and put these guys in a really great position to be ready to rock and roll for training camp. And I think that’s [what] our big thing is. This is really a building block and we just keep growing as we get into training camp.”
One New Health-Related Absence
The only players missing from Wednesday’s group were tight end Taysom Hill, who made a surprise appearance partway through Tuesday’s practice, and rookie safety Jonas Sanker.
Hill’s absence is certainly expected as he continues to rehab from a serious late-season knee injury. However, Sanker was a bit of a surprise, especially after cashing in the defense’s biggest play of the day on Tuesday. While he was out for injury purposes, Moore’s update makes it clear that the level of concern is very low.
#Saints HC Kellen Moore on the absence of rookie safety Jonas Sanker:
“Yeah, he’s okay. Just a little minor thing.”
— Ross Jackson (@RossJacksonNOLA) June 11, 2025
Tryout Players Returned
Running back Cam Akers and offensive lineman Shane Lemieux were both present and participating throughout the practice.
Rookie Quincy Riley Participates
Riley has been working his way back from an offseason procedure following the draft. Wednesday was his first day participating in 9-on-7 drills. He lined up on the outside opposite second-year cornerback Rico Payton. Great progress for the young rookie defender.
Keith Williams Isn’t Concerned About Wide Receiver Room’s Size
Some of the local reporters got the chance to speak with wide receivers coach Keith Williams, who returned to the staff despite the overhauling taking place among coaches elsewhere. This is considered a big win for the Saints, as Williams did have offers to go elsewhere.
Williams is loving what he’s seeing from his room. And while many believe that a big-bodied wideout would add another element, The coach isn’t too concerned.
“If you find a big body guy that’s a good player, you know, you would love that kind of guy. But I’m very satisfied with what we have in the room. We got speed, we got movement. And the object of football is to be open. Separation. If the defender can’t mirror you, then it really doesn’t matter.”
And in the run game, his perspective doesn’t change. He’s happy with not only what he can see from his room now, but he was pleased with his wideouts last year as well.
“In blocking, it comes down to strength and will and want to,” he said. “We didn’t have a problem blocking anybody last year in terms of [defensive back] play. I don’t feel like we got outmuscled by guys in terms of [defensive back] body type. Because at the end of day at wideout, you’re blocking the same body type as you are.”
The Lighter Side Of Coaching
Williams has been outstanding for the unit and has brought just as much camaraderie as leadership.
He has nicknames for much of the wide receiver room for now. Here are a few he shared:
- Chris Olave: Ninja with Smoke Bombs. This one actually comes from assistant wide receiver coach Kyle Valero to express the “now you see him, now you don’t” nature of Olave’s ability to create separation.
- Rashid Shaheed: Sheed. No surprises here.
- Cedrick Wilson Jr.: The Professor.
- Dante Pettis: Dante Potter, because he “runs routes like a wizard.”
- Brandin Cooks: 209. Cooks and Williams are both from Stockton, Calif., so they refer to one another by their former area code
- Mason Tipton: Attorney Tipton. Graduating from Yale and being smart is what earned Tipton this one.
Special Teams Gets Fun
Field Goals
Kicker Charlie Smyth took the field goal reps Wednesday and went 4/5 while absolutely drilling a 61-yard field goal that would have easily been good beyond 70. His four makes came from the following distances: extra point, 44 yards, 54 yards and 61 yards. His lone miss came from 49 yards.
Safety Justin Reid also kicked and made an extra point, which he has done in a game before. However, he missed from 43.
Former LSU defensive tackle Davon Godchaux tried one as well, but it didn’t go well. Hopefully he gets more opportunities.
Punting
This was the first time we got the chance to see undrafted free agent punter James Burnip punt and you can see every bit of the leg power that made him a desirable addition. The 6-foot-6 boot looks like he could be a tight end in another life. He does a good job with directional punting and location, pulls off some solid hangtime as well.
The Saints were mostly operating their punt drills in plus territory (the opposing 45) or at midfield. Here is the hangtime (in seconds) for each of his punt from both distances, as handtimed by me.
Opp. 45: 4.25, 4.41, 4.28, 4.29, 4.50, and 3.90
Midfield: 4.25, 4.09, 4.55, 3.50, 4.50, 4.28, 4.65
