By Ross Jackson
As OTAs continue across the NFL, the New Orleans Saints will open their practice facility doors to the media Thursday, offering our first glance at the team’s rookies and veterans working together.
While all eyes will be on quarterbacks Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler, there are several other intriguing players to watch, many of which are new faces that could upend some of the Saints’ status quo. We’ll leave Shough and Rattler off of the list for now, as they are the obvious picks, and dig a little deeper instead.
Here are five players we’ll be watching closely at OTA day three for the team, day one for the media.
QB Hunter Dekkers
After third-year quarterback Jake Haener reportedly suffered an oblique strain that now threatens to sideline him for OTAs, the door swung wide open for Dekkers. The undrafted rookie quarterback impressed throughout rookie minicamp. Now, he has a wide open lane to begin to establish himself as a third quarterback option. No decisions will be made during OTAs, but this is a great opportunity for the young passer to put himself on the map early before Haener returns.
OL Trevor Penning
There has already been an indication that Penning will be moving inside for at least a portion of OTA practices thanks to a glimpse shared on video by the team. This is a move that we pondered earlier this week as a real opportunity to help continue the upward trajectory of Penning’s career that rebounded last year. This will be of particular interest throughout OTAs.
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S Jonas Sanker
Where the versatile rookie lines up on the defense is going to be an interesting part of the scheme to plot. Sanker can play from just about anywhere on the field, but his impact as a box safety is going to be very hard to pass up.
OL Kelvin Banks Jr.
If Penning moves inside, it means that Banks is holding down one of the tackle spots. In the same video above, fellow tackle Taliese Fuaga was on the right side, returning to his collegiate position. That should put Banks, by process of elimination, at his collegiate spot on the left, which is a great use of a top-ten tackle investment by the team.
CB Quincy Riley
Riley was not participating throughout rookie minicamp due to his recovery from a minor procedure. The corner has a chance to be a starter in defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s defense. But he’ll have to get back out on the field soon to start carving those in-roads.
