New Orleans Saints Depth Chart 2020 Saints Depth Chart

Do the Saints Enough Receiving Depth?

The Saints are lucky to have one of the best receivers in the game in Michael Thomas (fresh off a 100 million extension) and one of the best receiving backs in the game in Alvin Kamara. Jared Cook was a nice pickup that may revitalize the tight end position for the Saints. However, there should be concerns that they might not have enough depth at those positions. Outside of those three, there really isn’t a proven option that the Saints can for sure rely upon. If all three stay healthy it likely won’t be a problem but if the Saints have any health issues this year those flaws will be a lot more noticeable. Currently the Saints have receivers Cameron Meredith, Ted Ginn, and Tre’Quan Smith next on their depth chart after Thomas. Those three all have their ups and downs, but none of them have the makeup of a number 2. In fact, none of them even reached 500 yards receiving. The Saints will likely once again be a juggernaut on offense, but they’re also playing things a little risky with the lack of depth they have.

How Improved Will the Saints Defensive Line Be?

The Saints defense has taken major strides in the past couple years. Before, it was once a liability that wasted a lot of elite seasons from the Saints’ offense and Drew Brees. However, savvy draft choices and smart offseason decision helped the Saints’ defense become a unit worthy of the offense. However, one intriguing question for the Saints is how their defensive line will fare this year. As long as the Saints have Cam Jordan, their defensive line should at least be solid. It’s expected that he’ll once again play at a pro bowl level, but the ceiling for how good this unit can be relies on his teammates. The two biggest names outside Jordan on the defensive line would be Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Davenport. Rankins was pretty solid for the Saints last season but hurt his achilles and will likely miss the start of the season. Davenport had an up and down rookie season that was cut short due to injury, but he has a lot of potential. If those two players can make full recoveries and play up to their talent, the Saints defensive line has the potential to be one of the most dominant in the league.

What Will Taysom Hill’s Role Be?

One of the more intriguing subplots from last year was how Sean Payton utilized Taysom Hill last year. Although he’s supposed to play quarterback, the Saints utilized Hill in a number of ways, both on offense and special teams. Hill was pretty impressive in the roles last season, so it’s interesting to wonder if the Saints have bigger plans for him this year. Brees isn’t as young as he once was, so letting Hill take a couple more reps at quarterback every now and then to give him a breather is a possibility. Hill is extremely athletic as well so it’s likely he’ll be utilized as a receiver and running back even more frequently than he was last year. Sean Payton is one of the most innovative coaches in the league, so it’s likely he’s already scheming of new ways to utilize Hill that will coach opponents off guard.