New Orleans Saints

Nathan Shepherd

DT

Bresee is feared to have torn his ACL during practice earlier in the week, which would leave a big hole on New Orleans' defensive front. The veteran Shepherd is an obvious contender to take a large chunk of the snaps left behind, although he'll have to compete with John Ridgeway, 2024 sixth-rounder Khristian Boyd and 2025 third-rounder Vernon Broughton, among others.

Vernon Broughton

DT

Broughton was a third-round selection of the Saints in the 2025 NFL Draft, but his rookie campaign was cut short by a season-ending hip injury that he sustained in Week 1 against the 49ers in September. He's fully healthy for the start of training camp, and he has the opportunity to earn a starting role at defensive end opposite Cameron Jordan if Bryan Bresee (knee) is sidelined for the entire 2026 season.

Kelvin Banks Jr.

OT

Banks was a first-round selection of the Saints in the 2025 NFL Draft and started in all 17 regular-season games last year. He suffered an ankle injury during the Saints' regular-season finale against the Falcons in early January, but he is fully healthy for the start of training camp. Banks figures to keep his starting role at left tackle for the 2026 campaign.

Cody Hardy

TE

Hardy is now clear to participate in training camp practices and preseason games as he he looks to make a case for a spot on the Saints' 53-man roster for the 2026 season. He signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in late April following his final college season at North Carolina, when he mostly contributed as a run blocker and finished with six catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns across five games.

Chris Olave

WR

Olave inked a four-year extension worth up to $132 million with the Saints on Thursday, providing sufficient motivation for the 2022 first-rounder to get in his first full-team reps of training camp. Treatment related to a blood clot kept Olave from taking part in team drills during spring activities, but the star wideout seems to be fully healthy in advance of the 2026 regular season. Olave will look to build on the career year he logged in 2025 as he now heads into Year 2 with quarterback Tyler Shough under center.

Kool-Aid McKinstry

CB

Coach Kellen Moore said the early exit was merely precautionary and that the injury appeared minor. McKinstry may not miss any more time, but TJ Hall, Martin Emerson or Jordan Howden may get additional snaps at outside cornerback across from Quincy Riley if McKinstry sits out any upcoming practice sessions.

Bub Means

WR

Means was placed on injured reserve last August with a lower-leg injury and missed the entire 2025 season. Now healthy, Means will look to make his mark in what is a crowded wide-receiver room in New Orleans. The 2024 fifth-round pick has participated in seven career regular-season games, producing nine receptions for 118 yards and one touchdown.

Bryan Bresee

DT

The defensive lineman is undergoing extensive testing to confirm, but his ACL is likely torn, and he is likely done for the season. If the worst is true, John Ridgeway and Vernon Broughton (hip) will need to step up and prove they can produce for the Saints' defensive front.

Mason Tipton

WR

It was initially believed Tipton was still recovering from the groin injury that landed him on injured reserve ahead of last season's Week 18 regular-season finale, but he evidently required surgery on his tibia and is working his way back from that procedure. Tipton has 25 catches for 175 scoreless yards on 43 targets across 25 career regular-season contests and is competing for his place in the Saints' wideout pecking order.

Kendre Miller

RB

Miller sustained a torn ACL in Week 7 last season but is 100 percent healthy to begin camp and is competing with Devin Neal for the RB3 role behind Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara. Miller carried the ball 47 times for 193 yards (4.1 YPC) and one touchdown across seven regular-season appearances in 2025.

Devin Neal

RB

Neal dealt with an undisclosed issue during the spring but is past the injury and working alongside Kendre Miller with the Saints' second-team offense. The two are competing for roles behind Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara in the New Orleans backfield.

Zxavian Harris

DT

Harris is still recovering from foot surgery he underwent in March. The 22-year-old signed with the team as an undrafted free agent back in May and will look to compete for a depth spot once healthy.

Keeshawn Silver

DT

The nature and severity of Silver's injury is unclear, but he'll be eligible to return to practice at any time once he's fully healthy. He signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in late April following a four-year college career. Silver logged 20 total tackles, including 1.0 sacks, across 12 games with USC last year.

Jordyn Tyson

WR

Tyson had his reps managed during the team's offseason program after the rookie wideout had an injury-plagued collegiate career, including a hamstring issue that recurred ahead of the draft, per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. He's ready to work now that training camp is slated to begin, however. In his first pro campaign, the 2026 first-rounder has an opportunity to make an immediate fantasy impact as the Saints' WR2 alongside veteran Chris Olave.

Spencer Rattler

QB

Rattler lost the 2025 starting job to rookie first-round pick Tyler Shough halfway through the Saints' Week 8 loss to the Buccaneers. The quarterback remained in a reserve role for the team and is clearly liked by the organization, but the signing of three-year Jets starter Zach Wilson leaves Rattler's role up in the air. There is always the possibility the team retains three quarterbacks on the active roster (as they did in 2025), but only one will be the No. 2 option.

Travis Etienne Jr.

RB

There had been speculation Kamara could be on the move this offseason, but his amended deal paves the way for him to work in tandem with Etienne, who inked a four-year, $52 million deal with the Saints in March. Etienne -- who ran for 1,107 yards on 260 carries in 17 regular-season games with the Jaguars last season -- is poised to handle a significant portion of his new team's rushing workload in 2026, while Kamara, a versatile back with strong receiving skills, is available to see his share of touches as well.

Alvin Kamara

RB

Kamara is closing in on a new deal that will allow him to remain with the Saints, presumably by lowering the $10.4 million cap hit his current contract carries for the 2026 campaign. The soon-to-be 31-year-old has spent his entire NFL career to date in New Orleans and remains a versatile playmaker capable of contributing in a complementary role behind new starting running back Travis Etienne. Across 11 regular-season appearances in 2025, Kamara rushed 131 times for 471 yards and one score and secured 33 of 39 targets for 186 yards.

Juwan Johnson

TE

Johnson restructured his deal with the Saints in March to free up cap space and is coming off a career year, but the team's offseason investments at tight end gives him more competition for targets. Fant represents another proven receiving option, while Delp's athleticism could make him an upgrade over departees Jack Stoll and Foster Moreau. New Orleans also added a first-round wideout in rookie Jordyn Tyson (undisclosed), further muddying the target share picture. While Johnson's role in the passing game is secure, matching last year's volume of a career-high 103 targets and 77 receptions will likely be a tough ask.

Charlie Smyth

PK

Smythe started New Orleans' final six games of the 2025 season, going 12-for-16 on field-goal tries and making all 13 of his extra-point attempts. He first joined the Saints back in 2024 as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway. During training camp and the preseason Smythe will work to outperform Brown, who has spent time on various practice squads in the league (most recently the Rams and Falcons in 2024) but has yet to log a regular-season appearance.

Tyler Shough

QB

As a rookie, Shough appeared in 11 regular-season contests and went 5-4 as the Saints' starting QB after taking over for Spencer Rattler in November. In the process, he completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,384 yards, with 10 touchdowns and six picks, while adding 45 carries for 186 yards and three rushing TDs. This coming season, the 2025 second-rounder approaches training camp atop a signal-caller depth chart that still includes Rattler, as well as Zach Wilson and Hunter Dekkers. In addition to the Saints' investment in added weapons at the skill positions for Shough, the team looked to fortify its protection unit by signing veteran guard David Edwards and TE Noah Fant, who is underrated as a blocker, per Jackson. With continued growth in in his second campaign as a pro, Shough has a chance provide solid fantasy value in 2026 relative to his average draft position.

Tanner Brown

PK

Brown most recently spent time with the Falcons' practice squad in 2024, and he's now agreed to terms with the Saints. The Oklahoma State product has yet to make an NFL appearance after converting 22 of 23 field-goal attempts and all 42 of his point-after tries across 12 games during his final collegiate season in 2022. He's expected to compete with Charlie Smyth for New Orleans' top kicker spot ahead of the 2026 season.

Hunter Dekkers

QB

Dekkers has now returned to the Saints after spending most of last season on the team's practice squad injured list. The Iowa Western product has yet to appear in an NFL game after throwing for 3,044 yards, 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 12 contests during his final collegiate season in 2022.

Jalen Moreno-Cropper

WR

The Fresno State product spent most of his 2025 campaign with the Cowboys' practice squad, but he's since found a new home in New Orleans. Moreno-Cropper appeared in four regular-season games during his two seasons in Dallas, recording 38 kick-return yards and 27 punt-return yards. He'll likely compete for a special-teams role as the offseason progresses.

Zaire Mitchell-Paden

TE

Mitchell-Paden was dealing with a knee injury at the end of last season that landed him on injured reserve in January, but he appears to be back in football shape with minicamp underway. He'll be competing for a depth spot as an in-line tight end on the Saints' 53-man roster for 2026.

Oscar Delp

TE

Delp didn't get a ton of opportunities as a pass catcher in college, but the third-round rookie demonstrated great speed when he ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at Georgia's Pro Day back in March. Now that he's fully healthy again, he'll compete for snaps and targets at tight end behind starter Juwan Johnson.