By Ross Jackson
METAIRIE, La. – Day five of New Orleans Saints training camp is in the books and so is the always highly anticipated first day in pads. It was another day of strong defensive efforts as the physicality stepped up to the next level. While the young quarterbacks made some plays here and there, it was mostly an underwhelming day from the group as everyone acclimates to wearing pads again for the first time since the beginning of the year.
There was a lot of focus on installing the run game with a couple of nice runs to highlight. But overall, the standouts were again the team’s edge rushers.
Chase Young, Carl Granderson Continue to Shine
The team’s edge rusher tandem has likely been the most consistent area of success for the Saints early in camp. Each day, both have found their way into post-practice notes or had their names uttered during media availability as they receive credit for their performances.
The age-old question of whether or not the two are performing really well versus the offensive line struggling will always remain and will have to be evaluated once the lights are on and the team isn’t practicing against itself. But for now if there’s a reason for optimism around the team’s new defensive approach, it’s this duo.
Biggest Plays of the Day
- While in a pile following a Devin Neal handoff, one defender punched the ball free. The fumble looked to be recovered by Cam Jordan.
- Quarterback Spencer Rattler connected with wideout Rashid Shaheed deep down the left sideline for a big completion. Rookie corner Quincy Riley was in coverage.
Best throw of the day came in team drills early in practice.
Spencer Rattler to Rashid Shaheed deep down the sideline. @wdsu pic.twitter.com/0h2OU5qUTV
— Sharief Ishaq (@ShariefWDSU) July 28, 2025
- During 7-on-7s with the third team, Jake Haener targeted rookie tight end Moliki Matavao for a big pass down the left sideline. Linebacker/Safety Isaiah Stalbird made a leaping pass breakup at the catch point.
Isaiah Stalbird with the PBU on the pass from Jake Haener.@WWLTV pic.twitter.com/zdDyJpG8jt
— Doug Mouton (@DMoutonWWL) July 28, 2025
- Several sacks and pressure by Young, Granderson and Omari Thomas should also be mentioned.
- Rookie passer Tyler Shough connected with Brandin Cooks during team drills on a deep crossing route. Shough had to wait out the concept before he could deliver. Showed good patience and great ball placement on the delivery.
Team drills
Tyler Shough’s best throw of the day, finding Brandin Cooks down the field on the over route. @wdsu pic.twitter.com/4SDFeKOK5V
— Sharief Ishaq (@ShariefWDSU) July 28, 2025
The Quarterback Battle
It’s hard to call a “winner” for today’s work, but it is easy to say that each signal caller made at least one impressive throw despite an otherwise uninspiring performance. The most important part to come from a day like Monday will be how they respond when back on the field Wednesday. (Tuesday is reserved for a special teams install day.)
Today’s Focus
The focus of Monday’s practice, beyond being the first day in pads, factored in a few elements.
- Run game install
- First and second down runs
- Third down work for the quarterbacks
- Run focus was on gap scheme runs and downhill run game
- Some play action work off of those running plays
As for the quarterbacks, Shough was back with the first team, Rattler ran with the second and Haener remained with the third team.
For the following charts, I won’t be including yard lines because of the angle we had. With practice being mostly focused on the near-side field, there’s not a reliable enough vantage point to precisely capture yard lines.
Shough Rep Charting
First Series of Team Drills
- First-and-10: Alvin Kamara run right
- Second-and-three: Kamara run middle
- FIrst-and-10: Cam Akers run left
- Second-and-three: Clyde Edwards-Helaire run middle
7-on-7s
- First-and-10: Shough complete to Chris Olave (open), short right area
- Second-and-eight: Shough complete to Juwan Johnson (Kool-Aid McKinstry in coverage), quick to the left area
- Shough scramble left (great coverage down field)
- Shough scramble left (great coverage down field)
Second Series of Team Drills
These reps took place simultaneously with Rattler’s second team reps on split fields
- Shough complete to Olave (Justin Reid in coverage)
- Shough complete to Shaheed, short right side, Chase Young pressure left edge, many adjustments at the line before the snap
- Shough throwaway, Young with pressure again
- Shough incomplete to Shaheed (McKinstry in coverage), left area
- Shough incomplete to Dante Pettis to the left area
- Kendre Miller run right, nice run
- Shough scramble left, Cam Jordan with pressure
Third Series of Team Drills
- Neal run right
- Shough complete to Neal, ball tipped at the line but still caught, Granderson pressure
- Velus Jones Jr. run right
- Shough complete to Treyton Welch in the flats left
Fourth Series of Team Drills
- Akers runs left. After the whistle, the ball was punched out (a point of emphasis for each side of the ball has been ball handling, even after the play)
- Shough complete to Cooks (Julian Blackmon in coverage), deep crossing route from right to left, great patience by Shough to let the play develop and deliver
- Penalty: False Start
- Shough complete to Jack Stoll (Jordan Howden in coverage), out-breaking route in intermediate left area
Rattler Rep Charting
First Series of Team Drills
- First-and-10: Miller run up middle
- Second-and-three: Neal run middle-right, fumble. Cam Jordan looked to recover
- First-and-ten: Rattler complete to Shaheed (Riley in coverage), deep down the left sideline off of play action
- Second-and-short: Rattler incomplete to Pettis (Terrell Burgess nearest defender), Burgess would have put a big hit on Pettis in game. This looked like a drop.
7-on-7s
- First-and-ten: Rattler complete to Miller (Burgess nearest defender), quick left area
- Second-and-eight: Rattler complete to Mason Tipton (Julian Blackmon in coverage)
- Third-and-eight: Rattler complete to Johnson (Ugo Amadi in coverage), short left
- Third-and-four: Rattler complete to Pettis (Blackmon in coverage) quick right, good for a first down
Second Series of Team Drills
These reps took place simultaneously with Shough’s second team reps on split fields
- Rattler scramble, immediate pressure up the middle
- Akers run left
- Rattler incomplete to Michael Jacobson (Rejzohn Wright in coverage)
- Rattler incomplete to Moliki Matavao (Jonas Sanker in coverage), crosser from left to right
- Jones run left
- Jones run right
- Re-Huddle
- Rattler complete to Tipton deep left side
- Rattler scrambles and incomplete to either Moochie Dixon (84) or Chris Tyree (89)
Third Series of Team Drills
- Neal run left
- Rattler incomplete to Shaheed (Amadi in coverage), deep right side, great downfield safety pickup by Amadi
- Rattler complete to Pettis (Riley in coverage), out-breaking route to the left
- Rattler complete to Olave (Amadi in coverage), quick right sideline
Haener Rep Charting
First Series of Team Drills
- First-and-10: Neal run right
- Second-and-three: Neal run right
- First-and-10: Haener complete to Tipton (Wright in coverage), left area out of play action
- Second-and-two: Jones run right
7-on-7s
- First-and-10: Haener complete to Kevin Austin jr. (Riley nearest defender), crosser
- Second-and-10: Haener incomplete to Matavao (Stalbird in coverage), leaping pass break up by Stalbird on the downfield throw
- Third-and-10: Haener incomplete to Shaheed (Elliott Davison and Sanker in coverage), Davison with a leaping pass break up in the end zone
- Third-and-four: Haener complete to Dixon (Wright in coverage), crosser left to right, Wright with a diving pass break up attempt, but Dixon with a strong catch. Yards after catch, ball punched out by linebacker Jaylan Ford, recovered by Dixon.
Second Series of Team Drills
- Miller run right
- Yarns run left, big run, well blocked by the offensive line. Would have been one-on-one with the safety in the third level.
- Haener throwaway, Omari Thomas with a pressure
- Haener complete to Pettis (Dalys Beanum in coverage), out-breaking route to the right side
Quarterback Rep Distribution (excluding re-huddles and penalties)
Shough: 22
Rattler: 20
Haener: 12
Passing Attempts/Completions (Running Total)
Shough: 8/11 (24/41, three passing touchdowns)
Rattler: 8/13 (40/57, six passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and two interceptions)
Haener: 4/7 (29/43, four passing touchdowns, one interception)
Attendance
After having an excused absence on Sunday, linebacker Demario Davis was back at practice. Safety JT Gray left practice part way through with what head coach Kellen Moore described as a lower body injury. It didn’t seem like there was much concern at the moment, but Moore did say that further evaluation will be done.
Tight end Foster Moreau was getting some sidework in today with trainers, same as Hill on Sunday. Good progress showing for both tight ends.
Roster Move
The Saints released offensive lineman Josh Ball. This puts the roster back at 90 players. But with kicker Charlie Smyth granted the international player exemption, that means there is now a roster spot open that the team could look to fill.
Grupe Kicks
Blake Grupe returned to the field goal unit on Monday and was again perfect. He went 5/5 hitting kicks from extra point distance, 40 yards, 45 yards, 49 yards and 51 yards. This was the first 50-yard or more attempt in camp. Grupe hit each of these decisively, with more than enough leg and straight down the middle.
He is now 14/15 over the course of camp with his one miss coming during a downpour on day three of camp. His competition, Smyth, is 5/10.
Hayball Hangtime
Hayball looked to be working on some distanced and directional punts. He had to cover a good portion of the field, and looked to be aiming for his right corner at the endzone. That didn’t leave much opportunity for hangtime, but he did still get some up long enough to impress.
4.50s, 4.47s, 3.87s, 4.12s, 4.32s, 4.25s, 3.90s, 4.00s, 4.62s, 3.18s
Revisit Previous Observations
DAY ONE – Rattler perfect in passing
DAY TWO – Defense takes control
