Due to a miscommunication with the Tulane SID staff, I was not let in the gate at the Saints practice facility until Tulane's practice was over. I was there in time to interview Willie Fritz and found out Robert Kennedy returned today while Noah Fisher did not, so never mind my prediction from yesterday. Fisher will be back soon, though. Fritz said he expected Cam Sample back tomorrow.
Here's what I believe to be the depth chart at this time, although nothing is close to official yet:
OFFENSE
QB
1) Jonathan Banks
2) Dane Ledford or Christian Daniels
Comment: When Fritz says the backup battle is too close to call, he's not hiding anything. Neither one of them appears ready, but one of them will move ahead in the next week before they give only two QBs the reps in preparation for Wake Forest.
RB
1) Darius Bradwell OR Corey Dauphine
3) Stephon Huderson
4) Jet Glenn, Cameron Carroll or Amare Jones
Comment: It's hard to get time for more than three running backs. As good as these guys have looked in non-contact drills, I'm not sure how many carries there are to go around after the top two. Glenn probably will get a look in the opener. After that, the pecking order will be based on performance.
WR
Starters: Terren Encalade, Darnell Mooney and Jabril Clewis
Backups: Jaetavian Toles, Brian Newman and Jacob Robertson
Comment: Clewis is not assured of starting. Other than that, these are the top six guys.
TE
1) Charles Jones
2) Will Wallace
3) Kendall Ardoin
4) Tyrick James
Comment: I don't know that Wallace is ahead of Ardoin, but he's made more plays in camp when I was watching. Blocking, of course, is a huge factor, too, and that's hard to judge in non-contact work.
LT
1) Noah Fisher
2) Joey Claybrook
LG
1) Dominique Briggs
2) Cameron Jackel
C
1) Corey Dublin
2) Hunter Knighton
RG
1) John Leglue
2) Devon Johnson
RT
1) Keyhshawn McLeod
2) Tyler Johnson
Comment: Barring injury, this has been the two deep all camp.
DEFENSE
DE
1)Cameron Sample
1)Davon Wright
NT
1) De'Andre Williams
2) Jeffery Johnson
DT
1) Robert Kennedy
2) EDIT: Alfred Thomas
OLB
1) Patrick Johnson
2) Carlos Hatcher
Comment: Other than James, all of these guys appear ready to play. The freshmen will have some significant growing pains, though.
WLB
1) Zach Harris
2) KJ Vault
MLB
1) Lawrence Graham or Marvin Moody
Comment: Harris, Graham and Moody will rotate a lot, with all three capable of playing both spots. I cannot make a call on Graham or Moody yet. Both of them look good. Vault is a ways behind them, with Quentin Brown trying to get in the top four.
NB
Comment: No idea. I could do a depth chart, but I'm not sure what they will end up doing here. If they go with one of the guys who entered camp at the position, I'd still pick Tirise Barge over Larry Bryant and Will Harper even though he's gotten few reps with the first unit in camp. If they decide they want three cornerbacks on the field, it would be either Donnie Lewis or Jaylon Monroe. This is the most wide open spot on the roster, and the decision hinges in part on what they want to do with this position.
CB
Starters: Donnie Lewis and Jaylon Monroe OR Thakarius Keyes
Backups: Willie Langham and Chris Joyce
Comment: The race here is too close to call. Lewis will start somewhere. Monroe and Keyes have taken turns looking outstanding in practice.
Strong safety
1) P.J. Hall
2) Taris Shenall
Free safety
1) Rod Teamer
2) Chase Kuerschen
Comment: Those are the top four. The pecking order between the starters and backups is clear, too.
Punter
1) Ryan Wright
2) Zach Block
Comment: This is just a hunch, but Wright has to become more consistent. I have not seen much punting, but when I have, the range between his good ones and bad ones is huge. The good ones are better than Block's have been in the past. The bad ones might be worse.
Kicker
Merek Glover
Comment: Glover is their guy. I have no idea who the backup is because I have not seen any field goal attempts.
Here's what I believe to be the depth chart at this time, although nothing is close to official yet:
OFFENSE
QB
1) Jonathan Banks
2) Dane Ledford or Christian Daniels
Comment: When Fritz says the backup battle is too close to call, he's not hiding anything. Neither one of them appears ready, but one of them will move ahead in the next week before they give only two QBs the reps in preparation for Wake Forest.
RB
1) Darius Bradwell OR Corey Dauphine
3) Stephon Huderson
4) Jet Glenn, Cameron Carroll or Amare Jones
Comment: It's hard to get time for more than three running backs. As good as these guys have looked in non-contact drills, I'm not sure how many carries there are to go around after the top two. Glenn probably will get a look in the opener. After that, the pecking order will be based on performance.
WR
Starters: Terren Encalade, Darnell Mooney and Jabril Clewis
Backups: Jaetavian Toles, Brian Newman and Jacob Robertson
Comment: Clewis is not assured of starting. Other than that, these are the top six guys.
TE
1) Charles Jones
2) Will Wallace
3) Kendall Ardoin
4) Tyrick James
Comment: I don't know that Wallace is ahead of Ardoin, but he's made more plays in camp when I was watching. Blocking, of course, is a huge factor, too, and that's hard to judge in non-contact work.
LT
1) Noah Fisher
2) Joey Claybrook
LG
1) Dominique Briggs
2) Cameron Jackel
C
1) Corey Dublin
2) Hunter Knighton
RG
1) John Leglue
2) Devon Johnson
RT
1) Keyhshawn McLeod
2) Tyler Johnson
Comment: Barring injury, this has been the two deep all camp.
DEFENSE
DE
1)Cameron Sample
1)Davon Wright
NT
1) De'Andre Williams
2) Jeffery Johnson
DT
1) Robert Kennedy
2) EDIT: Alfred Thomas
OLB
1) Patrick Johnson
2) Carlos Hatcher
Comment: Other than James, all of these guys appear ready to play. The freshmen will have some significant growing pains, though.
WLB
1) Zach Harris
2) KJ Vault
MLB
1) Lawrence Graham or Marvin Moody
Comment: Harris, Graham and Moody will rotate a lot, with all three capable of playing both spots. I cannot make a call on Graham or Moody yet. Both of them look good. Vault is a ways behind them, with Quentin Brown trying to get in the top four.
NB
Comment: No idea. I could do a depth chart, but I'm not sure what they will end up doing here. If they go with one of the guys who entered camp at the position, I'd still pick Tirise Barge over Larry Bryant and Will Harper even though he's gotten few reps with the first unit in camp. If they decide they want three cornerbacks on the field, it would be either Donnie Lewis or Jaylon Monroe. This is the most wide open spot on the roster, and the decision hinges in part on what they want to do with this position.
CB
Starters: Donnie Lewis and Jaylon Monroe OR Thakarius Keyes
Backups: Willie Langham and Chris Joyce
Comment: The race here is too close to call. Lewis will start somewhere. Monroe and Keyes have taken turns looking outstanding in practice.
Strong safety
1) P.J. Hall
2) Taris Shenall
Free safety
1) Rod Teamer
2) Chase Kuerschen
Comment: Those are the top four. The pecking order between the starters and backups is clear, too.
Punter
1) Ryan Wright
2) Zach Block
Comment: This is just a hunch, but Wright has to become more consistent. I have not seen much punting, but when I have, the range between his good ones and bad ones is huge. The good ones are better than Block's have been in the past. The bad ones might be worse.
Kicker
Merek Glover
Comment: Glover is their guy. I have no idea who the backup is because I have not seen any field goal attempts.
