Cornerback Jayden Price on his journey back to the NFL, Saints expectations

New Orleans Saints training camp kicks off in just a few weeks, and some players have had more time to prepare for it than others. One recent arrival is cornerback Jayden Price, who spoke about his experience on the tryout circuit on the Hot Mic show with Dom Izzo. The Saints weren't the first team to bring him in for a workout. Sean Payton's Denver Broncos did the same.

"I went down to Denver for a tryout, went down to New Orleans for a tryout," Price recalled. "Super excited, super blessed for the opportunity and just ready to get to work."

Having played college football with the North Dakota State Bison, Price appeared in 71 games and won three Division II national titles at a high-profile program. He spent last summer with the Atlanta Falcons before trying his hand at the CFL (with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats) and the spring-league UFL (with the Arlington Renegades). When asked how getting that time in Atlanta made a difference, Price said he's moved on from the rookie jitters and hopes to put his best foot forward: "Yeah, I think so, a hundred percent. I felt good about what I put on tape down in Atlanta and felt like if I just continued to do so then I'd be in a good spot and get another opportunity. And thankfully here we are," Price said.

It wasn't just the experience he gained in practice reps or preseason games that made an impact on him. Getting to watch star players go to work was informative. Price continued, "The level of football, the amount of knowledge that those guys have to be so successful at their jobs and everything, it was super mesmerizing to me. You know I was trying to pick Jessie Bates, A.J. Terrell's brain as much as I could. Those guys are extremely smart and it makes perfect sense why they're so good at what they do.

"I think it gives me a whole lot of confidence just knowing that this is my second time going into a training camp. I feel like I'm in a great spot, I've done it once so I'm not looking over my shoulder every chance or every corner I take, and stuff like that. I'll be able to be more even keeled, able to approach it a lot better. I'll hopefully be able to ask better questions, pick people's brains and whatnot. I feel really comfortable at where I'm at."

Price led the UFL with 13 passes defended this past season; he also made an impact on special teams, ranking fourth in punt return yards (193) and eleventh in kick return yards (338). He's hoping those skills in the game's third phase can help make a difference.

When asked what expectations his new Saints coaches had given him, Price acknowledged that he hadn't had much contact with them between the end of minicamp and the long summer break before training camp, but said: "They like me at corner, obviously this past UFL season my corner tape developed quite a bit especially in man coverage. And you know they want to see me excel there and then they love my return game as well, so I think I'll get some opportunities there."

He's facing an uphill battle, but there's a lot to be said for having confidence. Alontae Taylor, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Isaac Yiadom and rookie fourth-round pick Quincy Riley are all locks to make the team. The Saints usually roster four or five corners, so that last spot is going to come down to Price, Rico Payton, and rookies like Elliott Davison and Dalys Beanum. A late-summer signing like veteran cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. could upset those expectations, but at this point Price has just as strong a shot as anyone else we just listed.