Preseason game number one for the New Orleans Saints is finally here. After a scrimmage with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, the Saints will host the Jaguars in the Superdome on Saturday afternoon. It will be the first 2026 preseason outing for either team.
Most starters for both teams will sit out the game. However, there is still much to keep an eye on for both teams. The Saints look like a much-improved roster from the 2026 version, but now have to show it on the field. This preseason test will be against a Jaguars squad coming off a 13-4 season and an AFC South championship. Here are a few things to watch closest during Saturday's Saints-Jaguars clash.
Don't expect any of the New Orleans starting five to see the field. However, this unit must show that they have some quality depth. Losing veteran Dillon Radunz for the year hurts. Radunz was able to fill in at multiple spots and had starting experience. The spotlight will be on second-year players Torricelli Simpkins, Easton Kilty, and rookie Jeremiah Wright on the inside. At tackle, Asim Richards along with undrafted rookies Alan Herron and Alex Wollschlaeger will have their opportunities.New Orleans has yet to sign a veteran offensive lineman after the injury to Radunz. Their philosophy is clearly to see what they have in their younger players. Saturday's performance of this unit against Jacksonville will help determine whether the Saints need to bring in veteran additions to the position before the end of training camp.
We won't see Chris Olave or Jordyn Tyson. But there is still a lot to be determined within the receiving corps. Rookies Barion Brown and Bryce Lance have made some jaw-dropping plays consistently in practice. Now, they'll get a chance to do it in a game against a different defense. Brown and Lance seem nearly certain for roster spots, as does veteran Devaughn Vele. That leaves perhaps one job up for grabs within the unit.
Can returning veterans Ronnie Bell, Kevin Austin Jr., or Mason Tipton make their claim? Will Trey Palmer provide another threat for the offense? Can Bub Means revert back to his promising 2024 rookie form? Will any of them close the apparent gap between themselves and Brown or Lance? These are just a few of the questions to watch play out on the field. The biggest is this: Will the New Orleans receiving corps provide both a legitimate threat against defenses and quality depth for the team's offense?
#jaguars #brown #lance #preseason
Most starters for both teams will sit out the game. However, there is still much to keep an eye on for both teams. The Saints look like a much-improved roster from the 2026 version, but now have to show it on the field. This preseason test will be against a Jaguars squad coming off a 13-4 season and an AFC South championship. Here are a few things to watch closest during Saturday's Saints-Jaguars clash.
Don't expect any of the New Orleans starting five to see the field. However, this unit must show that they have some quality depth. Losing veteran Dillon Radunz for the year hurts. Radunz was able to fill in at multiple spots and had starting experience. The spotlight will be on second-year players Torricelli Simpkins, Easton Kilty, and rookie Jeremiah Wright on the inside. At tackle, Asim Richards along with undrafted rookies Alan Herron and Alex Wollschlaeger will have their opportunities.New Orleans has yet to sign a veteran offensive lineman after the injury to Radunz. Their philosophy is clearly to see what they have in their younger players. Saturday's performance of this unit against Jacksonville will help determine whether the Saints need to bring in veteran additions to the position before the end of training camp.
We won't see Chris Olave or Jordyn Tyson. But there is still a lot to be determined within the receiving corps. Rookies Barion Brown and Bryce Lance have made some jaw-dropping plays consistently in practice. Now, they'll get a chance to do it in a game against a different defense. Brown and Lance seem nearly certain for roster spots, as does veteran Devaughn Vele. That leaves perhaps one job up for grabs within the unit.
Can returning veterans Ronnie Bell, Kevin Austin Jr., or Mason Tipton make their claim? Will Trey Palmer provide another threat for the offense? Can Bub Means revert back to his promising 2024 rookie form? Will any of them close the apparent gap between themselves and Brown or Lance? These are just a few of the questions to watch play out on the field. The biggest is this: Will the New Orleans receiving corps provide both a legitimate threat against defenses and quality depth for the team's offense?
#jaguars #brown #lance #preseason
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