WR Jordyn Tyson
Sadly, Tyson is expected to be out until late October/early November.
DT Christen Miller
Miller is another player on the Saints squad that is dealing with an injury. He had an outstanding performance last week against the Jaguars, but left early after injuring his shoulder. He did travel with the team to California, so that’s a good sign for his availability this week. If he can play, that’s great news, and he has a chance to really prove his ability to start; if not, it will be a bit of a disappointment.
TE Oscar Delp
Against the
Jaguars, rookie Oscar Delp did have a touchdown, but it still wasn’t the best performance. There were drop issues, and he struggled to consistently secure the pass even on his catches. In Week 2, it would be incredible to see Delp be more consistent, even if he has no big plays. It’s clear that the developmental tag put on Delp is correct, but the Saints are in no rush for him to become a starter.
G Jeremiah Wright
With none of the starters playing, Jeremiah Wright was the starting RG for the game. Although it was not a perfect game, Wright showed solid pass protection and run blocking at times. He’s probably not ready to start in the regular season, but he did show enough for the Saints to feel pretty comfortable about his future. In game 2 against the Los Angeles Rams, Wright will have a tall task against a talented defensive line. It’s going to be very important that Wright shows a bit more consistency, but again, if he doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world.
WRs Bryce Lance and Barion Brown
Next are the pair of Day 3 WRs. With Tyson being out, Lance and Brown may have a larger role during the regular season, so they can’t disappoint if they want to make that happen. In Week 1, Lance did not play after dealing with an injury earlier in the week, but Brown had an excellent game. He was called upon consistently and made play after play. Brown went 4/4 on the day and showed he can step up when needed, but he needs to have an even better game. Bub Means stood out, and Trey Palmer made some incredible plays. Although Brown’s spot on the roster is not up for grabs, that WR3 spot sure is.
Lance needs to play this week. Like Brown, he won’t get cut, but where he lands on the depth chart is unknown.
DBs Lorenzo Styles Jr. and TJ Hall
It was a bit of a struggle late in the game for Hall. He let up a massive play in the 4th quarter that allowed the Jaguars to get the game-winning touchdown a play later. On that play, he was also called for a flag. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints throw him right back at them to end the game this week, so hopefully, no game-changing plays will be given up.
For Styles Jr., he stood out on special teams and almost had an incredible play made on a punt. This is where he’s going to really shine right away, but he wasn’t bad in coverage, which is a welcome sight.
