As Organized Team Activities (OTAs) come to a close for the New Orleans Saints, it appears that some of their key position battles already have a hierarchy.
From starting in the slot to backup roles, several Saints have confidentially climbed to the top of the rotation and are currently holding firm.
Here is an updated look at the team’s top position battles and where they currently stand in the very early stages of the offseason.
STAR/Slot Defender
Safety Jonas Sanker continues to hold the lead here, as expected. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley shared why he quickly became the early front-runner for the position.
“His best characteristics as a player are going forward,” he said. “Last year at safety, even going back to his tape at Virginia, even if he’s in the deep water field, but he’s coming towards the line of scrimmage, he’s got real trigger quality where you see his speed. It’s a huge asset for him.”
New Orleans sees disruptive potential in Sanker’s game, which has solidified him, thus far, in the STAR defender role.
One development to watch when training camp arrives will be the status of rookie safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. the former Ohio State Buckeyes safety could garner consideration, even as a backup in this role.
Backup Center
After a bit of shuffling in the second week of OTAs, the rotation returned to Erik McCoy, Torricelli Simpkins III and William Sherman in the third week. Offensive lineman Easton Kilty briefly received a look in the earlier portion.
Simpkins continues to pace this group behind McCoy, matching offseason expectations.
Wide Receiver
Behind Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele and this year’s three drafted rookies, it’s assumed that one spot could remain open in the depth chart at wideout.
Ja’Lynn Polk leapt out with an early grasp of the spot through the first two weeks, but in the third, Trey Palmer saw a lot of attention along with veteran wideout Ronnie Bell, who caught a touchdown in the season finale last year.
The question is: was this indicative of the two rising to the occasion? Or the makings of a coaching staff that wanted to see more from the remainder of the group?
In either case, the increased attention brought eyes to both Palmer and Bell, showing that they capitalized on their increased exposure.
