Those who missed Thursday's joint practice between the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, also missed most — if not all — of the starter versus starter work this week by both offenses and defenses.
The No. 1 offenses and defenses will primarily sit out Saturday's preseason opener for both teams in the Caesars Superdome.
Still, there's a preseason game and invaluable reps to be gained by many Saints who'll look to add to favorable impressions that have been made, or try to create them where they've been absent.
Don't expect to see anything from quarterback Tyler Shough — Spencer Rattler will start, Zach Wilson will follow and Hunter Dekkers will close — or receivers Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele and Jordyn Tyson. Tyson, the rookie first-round pick, left Thursday's joint practice early with a hamstring injury but he wasn't likely to play anyway, given his status as one of the top three receivers. Coach Kellen Moore said Friday that Tyson's injury was unrelated to previous hamstring issues — Tyson was shoved from behind by a defender as his lead foot slipped on the field — and that the team will collect more information as it determines how to proceed.
Tyson's fellow rookie receiver draft picks (Bryce Lance and Barion Brown, selected in the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively), who each have provided "wow" moments during training camp, should be in the mix early and often Saturday. Toss in Bub Means, Kevin Austin Jr., Trey Palmer, Ronnie Bell, Jalen Moreno-Cropper and Brock Rechsteiner (league-mandated suspension for the first six regular-season games, but able to participate in practice and preseason), and there are more than enough available, unproven commodities for snaps at receiver as they try to separate from the crowd.
In the backfield, running backs Travis Etienne Jr. and Alvin Kamara are proven producers who've passed the test, but preseason games and padded, joint practices will be crucial for players like Audric Estimé, who ran for 198 yards and a touchdown on 46 carries in seven games last year and will have ample opportunities to impress.
"I think these preseason games are going to be excellent opportunities for these running backs," Moore said. "Travis and A.K., we know the players they are and we have a ton of excitement for these younger guys. There's no better evaluation for these running backs than to get live with the tackling component, because that's where things come alive. It just looks different for running backs. There's a physicality that gets to come alive."
If the starting offensive line is going to be under wraps, rookie right guard Jeremiah Wright, a fourth-round pick, will receive even more reps as he tries to polish technique and pair it with the power he possesses.
Ditto for the defensive line, where second-round pick Christen Miller, a defensive tackle, should assume a decent workload in the absence of players like Nathan Shepherd and Davon Godchaux. If veteran edge rushers Tyree Wilson and Anfernee Jennings, who are angling for rotation snaps behind Chase Young, Carl Granderson and Cameron Jordan (who possibly will be sidelined until the regular season), are not heavily involved Saturday, Miller may see some action on the edge along with Fadil Diggs.
In lieu of cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley and other starters in the secondary (safeties Justin Reid, Julian Blackmon and Jonas Sanker), an opening will be provided for cornerbacks Jayden Priceand Martin Emerson Jr. to continue to shine. They've scratched out positive notoriety during training camp — Emerson added another couple of pass breakups on Thursday — and now will have the chance to further enhance Saturday.
And, finally, the kickers will continue to bear watching throughout preseason. Moore said that Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown will rotate against the Jaguars; game efficiency could be the determining factor for one of them. Smyth appeared to be creating space between the two as of Thursday, but the jockeying isn't over.
