Most of the New Orleans Saints rookie draft class figures to dress out for Sunday’s season-opener with the Tennessee Titans. First-round pick Bryan Bresee is going to play a lot of minutes in the defensive tackle rotation. There could be some snaps to go around for second-round defensive end Isaiah Foskey. Fifth-round safety Jordan Howden has a role in their dime defense. And sixth-round receiver A.T. Perry might get some looks with Tre’Quan Smith sidelined by a groin injury.
Fourth-round pick Jake Haener is suspended, though, and third-round rookie Kendre Miller is questionable to play with an injured hamstring. Miller didn’t practice this week or last while managing that hamstring issue, but neither did Smith or special teams ace J.T. Gray — both of whom were pre-emptively ruled out. So listing Miller as questionable gives him at least a chance at playing.
Hopefully his leg is healed up and ready to for him to play on Sunday. The Saints could use him while Alvin Kamara is out with a suspension. The only other available running backs are Jamaal Williams, Kirk Merritt (a former wide receiver who didn’t have a single carry in preseason due to his own injury) and fullback Adam Prentice, with recently-signed backups Tony Jones Jr. and Jordan Mims on the practice squad.
If Miller can’t play against the Titans this week, the Saints would be left with Williams, Merritt, and some combination of Jones or Mims to round out the depth chart. We’re guessing the game plan calls for a heavy dose of Taysom Hill as a runner (whose 7 touchdown carries led the team last year; his 575 rushing yards were a career-high) either way. But Miller’s big-play ability was unmatched at training camp. Hopefully he’ll be cleared to go, but it may be for the best to give him another weak to rest up before a Week 2 prime-time game with the Carolina Panthers.
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