The New Orleans Saints will have plenty of position battles to pay attention to throughout OTAs.
The Saints will host their OTAs starting on Tuesday. While no contact is permitted, 5v5, 7v7, and 11v11 drills are allowed. During these drills, New Orleans will have various position battles they’ll be taking a close eye on.
Cornerback
Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (14)Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (14)Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Among the Saints’ position battles, cornerback is one of the most in question. After trading away All-Pro Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans’ cornerback room is full of a lack of experience.
Kool-Aid McKinstry saw early action during his rookie season, but his lack of pro experience was noticeable. Alontae Taylor had a lot of success from the slot, but injuries pushed him to the outside where he would struggle. The Saints tried addressing their lack of a veteran presence early in the offseason when they targeted former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward but had to settle for Isaac Yiadom—who they signed to a three-year $9 million contract.
The Saints weren’t done adding to their cornerback with Yiadom, however. New Orleans spent the fifth-round pick they received in the Lattimore trade to draft Quincy Riley out of Louisville and shortly after brought in Asante Samuel Jr. for a visit.
It’s clear the Saints aren’t comfortable with where their cornerback room is at and are hoping for someone to take the job comfortably during their offseason workouts.
Guard/Tackle
The offensive line is at a promising spot for the Saints. The trenches are full of talent. Among the unit, four players were drafted in the first round and two others were drafted in the second round. Despite the high-level talent and promise among these players, New Orleans has had one of the most struggling offensive lines in the NFL and continuously has to make efforts to address it.