With OTAs officially started for the New Orleans Saints, the offseason is heating up. It’s still extremely early, but this is when the team will start to lay it’s foundation, and when storylines will get started up. Among the storylines will be position battles.
Every year, going into training camp, the NFL has a ton of intriguing position battles. Between rookies coming into the league and veterans joining new teams, there are always a ton of guys fighting for the same spot on the depth chart. Things will be no different this summer in New Orleans. The Saints will have quite a few battles happening this offseason. Let’s take a look three intriguing position battles for New Orleans going into the 2024 season.
3 position battles to watch for the Saints in 2024
3. Jake Haener vs. Spencer Rattler for QB2
Derek Carr is back for year two with the Saints and he’s locked in as the starter. However, there’s uncertainty surrounding the position of Carr’s backup. With Jameis Winston now a member of the Cleveland Browns, QB2 in New Orleans will be Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler.
Haener has a year under his belt, and it’s showing according to reports coming out of OTAs. He’s currently taking the second-team reps, and looking good while doing it. Rattler, on the other hand, is the talented rookie that’s expected to improve with time.
2. Pete Werner vs. Willie Gay Jr. for starting Linebacker
Willie Gay Jr. signed with the Saints after four years with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was a big part of the talented Chiefs defense that won back-to-back Super Bowls. Now, he’s in New Orleans and will be competing for a starting linebacker job.
On the depth chart, the three starting linebackers will likely be listed as Demario Davis, Pete Werner, and Gay. However, the Saints will only have two linebackers on the field most of the time. It’s safe to say Davis will remain in his role, and Werner and Gay will compete to see who lines up alongside Davis the most.
1. Alontae Taylor vs. Kool-Aid McKinstry for Slot Cornerback
The Saints selected Kool-Aid McKinstry, one of the top corner prospects, in the second-round of the 2024 NFL Draft. This is despite having Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo on the roster. Both of their futures are up in the air, but they are expected to remain on the roster in 2024. It’s safe to say they will return as the starters at outside corner.
However, since McKinstry was drafted, people have been sliding him into the slot cornerback spot. That, of course, conflicts with where Alontae Taylor played last season. That means Taylor and McKinstry will have to compete to see which corner will line up inside.
