Tag: Projection

Predicting the New Orleans Saints’ 53-man roster, practice squad after minicamp

Predicting the New Orleans Saints’ 53-man roster and practice squad after minicamp, highlighting position battles to watch over the summer:

We’re off to the long lull between New Orleans Saints spring practices and the start of training camp in late July, with the team having put a pin in their three-day mandatory minicamp last week and little action remaining on the NFL’s offseason calendar. Players and coaches will be away from the team facility for the rest of June and much of July, though front office personnel will have plenty of time to mull over their options for improving the roster going into training camp.

It’s a good time to stop and take a look around the Saints’ depth chart and reassess which players have the best shot at making the team during September roster cuts. Here are our latest predictions now that we’ve had time to see the team in practice and gauge the state of the Saints, looking for guidance on last year’s Week 1 roster:

Way-too-early 53-man roster projection for Chiefs

Our @goldmctNFL shares his way-too-early #Chiefs 53-man roster prediction for the 2023 NFL season.

The Kansas City Chiefs have filled out the 90-man roster and they’re now getting a first-hand look at their team during OTAs.

There’s a lot to be determined between now and when the Chiefs trim their roster down to 53 players later this summer. The next several months will tell the tale of who makes the squad as players get prepared for the upcoming season during the course of the offseason training program.

With that in mind, here are our way-too-early projections for the 53-man roster in Kansas City:

Cynthia Frelund projects Chiefs will have NFL’s top offense in 2023

The #Chiefs’ offense already faces lofty expectations as they look to secure Kansas City its third ring of the Patrick Mahomes era. | from @TheJohnDillon

Even after the Kansas City Chiefs decided to focus on their defense in the NFL draft, experts are still predicting a monster season for them in 2023 as they defend their Super Bowl title.

When NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund broke down the numbers in a recent analysis of offenses around the league, she came to the conclusion that Kansas City was likely to have the highest projected win share of any team next season.

Last season, with Tyreek Hill exiting and JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling coming aboard, the Chiefs relied more on the short-passing game than they had in the past — and Patrick Mahomes proved he can adapt to any play style, logging 31 touchdown passes on throws of 10 air yards or less, 12 more than anyone else in the NFL (per Next Gen Stats). Kansas City, meanwhile, ranked first in the NFL in scoring and yards per play. I look forward to seeing what new plays, alignments and wrinkles Andy Reid folds into the offense this year, with the departures of Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman leaving room for Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and rookie Rashee Rice to step up around perennial pass-catching anchor Travis Kelce.

At a mark of 8.7, the team Chiefs are predicted to set the standard with Patrick Mahomes under center and a cast of returning talent that should continue to cruise amid the AFC’s offensive arms race. She pointed to the additions of Jawaan Taylor and Donovan Smith to the team’s offensive line, and second-round selection Rashee Rice to the receiving corps as factors that could push them to the remarkably high number.

Another factor working in Kansas City’s favor: the additions of veteran tackles Jawaan Taylor and Donovan Smith. My models have shown that improved offensive-line play is not just correlated but causal to significant year-over-year increases in first-down and touchdown probabilities. Despite the loss of Orlando Brown, the presence of Taylor and Smith on the line projects to keep the Chiefs’ offense rolling, even if that success is achieved in different ways yet again.

Championship defense can be a fickle thing, though, and Kansas City will have a target on its back in every game they play in 2023, so they’ll face an uphill battle to win their second straight Super Bowl. Nonetheless, if the Chiefs’ offense lives up to these lofty expectations during the regular season, Kansas City should have a shot to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs and home-field advantage for elimination games to add another ring to their collection.

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New Orleans Saints 53-man roster projection after rookie minicamp

We’ve updated our Saints 53-man roster projection after rookie minicamp and several free agent signings. How do Foster Moreau and James Washington change things?

A lot can change in the space of a week. The New Orleans Saints have signed a number of players who shake up their roster projection, including a new starter at tight end and a veteran wide receiver who will put a lot of pressure on their younger players. That’s all happening in the wake of their recent rookie minicamp practices which introduced other new faces.

So with all that said, let’s update our 53-man roster projection. We’re also highlighting 16 players who could return on the practice squad, looking for guidance on the Week 1 depth chart from last season. This outlook will change once we’ve gotten a good look at the team in practice over the summer:

Chargers’ Ryan Ficken points to athleticism as Daiyan Henley’s biggest strength

Ryan Ficken made it clear that Daiyan Henley’s athleticism could factor into a role on his special teams unit.

Chargers special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken will rely on rookies to fill several holes on his unit in 2023. First-year linebacker Daiyan Henley, a former collegiate receiver, looks particularly poised to play a key role for the team in punt coverage as a gunner next season.

Asked about Henley’s most dominant qualities this week, Ficken pointed to the linebacker’s raw vigor as a trait that could benefit his special teams unit next season.

“I would say his athleticism and then his strength,” he said. “He’s a very good football player. If you’re talking about the specific punt and all of that stuff — punt he’s going to have to learn a little bit more in terms of punt because it’s a little bit of a different system than what he’s coming from in college. This guy is a football player.

“That’s what I try and instill in these guys coming from college. They’re running backs, receivers or whatever position they are — they’re not a running back when they get into the NFL. You’re a football player. That’s what we have to make sure that they understand. How can I increase my value to be able to get onto the field and help this football team win a lot of football games?”

Clearly, Ficken won’t be satisfied if Henley’s only core competency lies in his physical traits. Instead, he needs the rookie to soak up knowledge like a sponge and develop into an all-around special teamer to win a role as one of their go-to players in punt coverage.

Watch for Henley to continue improving his game to that end through rookie minicamp, OTAs, and training camp this summer to hone his skillset ahead of the regular season kickoff in September.

Trey Pipkins details Corey Linsley’s role as anchor on Chargers offensive line

Trey Pipkins heaped high praise on Corey Linsley.

The Chargers are going to lean on their offensive line to help Justin Herbert put up eye-watering numbers in 2023.

Right tackle Trey Pipkins told reporters in a recent interview about the line’s outlook for next season and pointed to center Corey Linsley as a key player in the success of the team’s front five.

Asked about what it means for the unit to have an established talent like Linsley as an anchor, Pipkins didn’t hold back any praise for the dominant center.

It’s huge. Any time you can have [a] veteran like Corey [Linsley], who’s been through so much, has been to multiple Pro Bowls, all of that type of stuff, he can teach you so much about the game, about succeeding in the way that you want to succeed and helping you out in your own personal game. Even though he doesn’t play tackle or anything like that, the knowledge he has about the game is great. He helps a ton.

Despite missing two games, Linsley continued to show why the Chargers signed him two offseasons ago. The 31-year-old Linsley was dominant in pass protection, finishing with Pro Football Focus’ best pass block grade in the league and zero sacks allowed.

Having Linsley in the mix to buoy the line and elevate the play of other players up front is sure to have a major impact on the offense’s trajectory in 2023 and beyond as Los Angeles looks to find significant success in the postseason moving forward.

This 2024 mock draft links the Saints to a big-time LSU wide receiver

2024 mock drafts are only really good for highlighting college talent, but we’re guessing many Saints already know of LSU standout Malik Nabers, their pick in this projection:

Okay, this is the last time we’ll talk about the 2024 NFL draft for, oh, probably three or four months. There’s little point in scouring 2024 mock drafts but if they do serve a purpose it’s to highlight college talent that football fans should be keying in on for the fall. We’re guessing a lot of New Orleans Saints fans were already well aware of what LSU Tigers wide receiver Malik Nabers can do, though.

Inverting the latest Super Bowl odds to determine draft order (which puts New Orleans at No. 19), The Athletic’s Dane Brugler likes the Saints to end up with the local standout in 2024:

I heard Nabers’ name multiple times at this year’s combine by 2023 draft prospects anointing him as the “next” big-time receiver to come from the SEC. He reached 1,000 yards receiving last season and played his best ball in the final few games.

He isn’t an all-world athlete at 6-foot-0 and 199 pounds, but the junior from Youngsville, La. made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2021 (catching 28 passes in 11 games to gain 417 yards and score 4 touchdown receptions) before leveling up in 2022 with 72 receptions and 1,017 yards across 14 games, scoring three times. He’s equally effective on contested-catch opportunities and in making a play after the catch. If the Saints move on from Michael Thomas next year, Nabers would be a popular prospect in New Orleans.

Brugler is as clued-in as it gets for draft analysts — he was in on the Saints-Chris Olave connection as early as April 2020, so he isn’t just drawing names out of a hat here. The Saints are notorious for rarely bringing in LSU products, but that’s begun to change under head coach Dennis Allen with flashy free agent pickups like Tyrann Mathieu and Jarvis Landry in recent years. Maybe Allen does well enough to remain in position come 2024, and Nabers could be hot on his radar.

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New Orleans Saints 53-man roster projection after 2023 NFL draft

Here’s our updated New Orleans Saints 53-man roster projection after the 2023 NFL draft:

How did the 2023 NFL draft shake up our New Orleans Saints roster projection? Right now, the team has about 85 players under contract — but only 53 of them will make the cut for Week 1 in September.

It’s worth remembering this is very much a work-in-progress. We’re trying to reflect the value the team has committed to its draft picks and undrafted rookie signings while being mindful of further changes and additions that could come in the days and weeks ahead. Some early-summer veteran free agents could be on the way which will shake this up, and all it takes is one unfortunate injury to turn things sideways for an entire position group.

Still, here’s our best guess at what the opening-day roster could look like in four months:

Day 2 mock draft for the New Orleans Saints

Our Day 2 mock draft for the New Orleans Saints includes a trade proposal to make an on-brand move (or two) up the draft order, targeting prospects who fit their prototypes:

The New Orleans Saints addressed their most important need in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, so where do they go from here? The truth is that they could move in almost any direction and come away feeling great about the decision.

After picking Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Bryan Bresee at No. 29, the Saints could be justified in turning their attention to offense, either along the line (prioritizing a guard like Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence or TCU’s Steve Avila) or at the skills positions (in targeting a pass-catcher such as Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, wide receiver Cedric Tillman, or UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet).

There also a couple of talented defensive backs available in Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and Alabama safety Brian Branch. New Orleans could double down on their defensive front by prioritizing edge rushers Keion White (Georgia Tech) or Isaiah Foskey (Notre Dame), too. And let’s not overlook some long-term developmental quarterbacks like Will Levis (Kentucky) and Hendon Hooker (Tennessee), either.

The point is that it’s really tough to predict what the Saints will do on the second day of the draft. But we’ll try anyway. Here’s a quick mock draft for their picks in Rounds 2 and 3:

Final Draft Wire projection has Saints landing a big receiver in Round 1

The final three-round Draft Wire projection starts with the New Orleans Saints landing one of the draft’s biggest wide receivers in Round 1:

The final three-round Draft Wire projection from Jeff Risdon starts with the New Orleans Saints landing one of the draft’s biggest wide receivers in Round 1 before pivoting to address their defensive line and secondary depth in the second and third rounds, so let’s dive right in. There’s no time to waste with the real thing drawing closer by the minute: