Saints 90-man roster, updated depth chart after minicamp and OTAs

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The New Orleans Saints have reshuffled their depth chart since the 2026 NFL Draft. Between signing veteran free agents like linebacker Anfernee Jennings, cornerback Martin Emerson Jr., and wide receiver Jalen Moreno-Cropper while bringing back familiar faces (Cameron Jordan among them), the 90-man offseason roster looks a lot different than it did two months ago.

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So here's a fresh look at the state of the Saints. There will obviously be some spots that need more nuance, but here's a rough outline of how we're ordering guys at each position group:

  1. Veteran starters
  2. Rookie draft picks (Rounds 1 to 3)
  3. Established backups
  4. Returning from the practice squad
  5. Rookie draft picks (Rounds 4 to 7)
  6. Rookie free agents

We'll get a much better idea of how each group stacks up once training camp begins next month. For now, this is just our best guess. Now let's break it down position by position:

Quarterbacks (4)

  1. Tyler Shough
  2. Spencer Rattler
  3. Zach Wilson
  4. Hunter Dekkers

Shough is the unquestioned starter, and Rattler appears to have a leg up on Wilson in the competition to back him up. Dekkers re-signed after spending the spring with the UFL's Houston Gamblers and figures to stick around on the practice squad while he continues to hone his craft.

Running backs (7)

  1. Travis Etienne Jr.
  2. Alvin Kamara
  3. Devin Neal
  4. Audric Estime
  5. Kendre Miller
  6. CJ Donaldson (rookie)
  7. Ty Chandler

Etienne feels like the only certainty here. The Saints could still trade Kamara or ask him to take a pay cut, but they're keeping their options open. Neal, Estime, and Miller are competing for the last two roster spots but Neal is dealing with a minor injury and Miller is still working his way back from a torn ACL. The edge goes to Neal, for now, but Estime could very well be the guy who comes out on top after running hard down the stretch last season.

Tight ends (7)

  1. Juwan Johnson
  2. Noah Fant
  3. Oscar Delp (rookie)
  4. Moliki Matavao
  5. Treyton Welch
  6. Zaire Mitchell-Paden
  7. Cody Hardy (rookie)

You'll hear this specific phrase on every single football podcast and blog this summer, but "it'll be interesting to see" how the Saints change up this position group's usage without Taysom Hill. And it really will be interesting. How soon does Delp begin to take snaps away from Fant and Johnson? Can Matavao make enough plays as a receiver to hold off Welch for that final roster spot? Or do the Saints just run with three tight ends? The position group caught a ton of passes at minicamp and OTAs and that figures to continue over the summer.

Offensive line (15)

  • Left tackle: Kelvin Banks Jr., Asim Richards, Alan Herron (rookie)
  • Left guard: David Edwards, Easton Kilty, Xavier Truss
  • Center: Erik McCoy, Torrcelli Simpkins III, William Sherman
  • Right guard: Cesar Ruiz, Dillon Radunz, Jeremiah Wright (rookie)
  • Right tackle: Taliese Fuaga, Barry Wesley, Alex Wollschlaeger (rookie)

There's a lot of moving parts in this group with guys cross-training at different positions, and alternating between the second- and third-string units. So don't take this as gospel. But the starting five appear to be set and guys like Simpkins and Radunz are taking a lot of snaps in new roles to give the Saints an insurance policy behind McCoy and Ruiz.

Wide receivers (13)

  1. Chris Olave
  2. Jordyn Tyson (rookie)
  3. Devaughn Vele
  4. Ja'Lynn Polk
  5. Ronnie Bell
  6. Bryce Lance (rookie)
  7. Barion Brown (rookie)
  8. Trey Palmer
  9. Mason Tipton
  10. Kevin Austin Jr.
  11. Bub Means
  12. Brock Rechsteiner (rookie)
  13. Jalen Moreno-Cropper

The top four seem to be apart from the rest, at least given how Tyler Shough talks about them. He expects big things from Polk this summer. That doesn't mean rookies like Lance and Brown are out of the mix, but it's Bell making the most catches at OTAs and minicamp. He needs to pick up where he left off when the Saints regroup for training camp.

Special teams (4)

  • Punter: Ryan Wright
  • Kicker: Charlie Smyth, Tanner Brown
  • Long snapper: Zach Wood

It didn't take long for the Saints to make a kicking change, opting to waive rookie free agent Mason Shipley once Brown's UFL season ended (with a couple of 60-yard field goals in the playoffs helping his Louisville Kings win the spring-league championship). Can Smyth hold him off in a training camp kicker competition?

Edge rushers (9)

  1. Chase Young
  2. Carl Granderson
  3. Cameron Jordan
  4. Chris Rumph II
  5. Anfernee Jennings
  6. Tyree Wilson
  7. Michael Heldman (rookie)
  8. Fadil Diggs
  9. Myles Cole

Three of the four roster spots are claimed for after Jordan re-signed, which leaves five guys competing for a single vacancy. Wilson isn't necessarily the favorite there even though the Saints traded for him during the 2026 draft; they signed Jennings, a more complete player and experienced pro, and guaranteed Heldman $267,500 (third-most on among the undrafted rookies) to sign as a priority free agent. Rumph is a favorite of the coaching staff and shouldn't be overlooked, too.

Defensive line (10)

  • Nose: Davon Godchaux, Christian Miller (rookie), John Ridgeway III, Khristian Boyd, Keeshawn Silver (rookie)
  • Ends: Bryan Bresee, Nathan Shepherd, Vernon Broughton, Jay'Viar Suggs (rookie), Zxavian Harris (rookie)

You can mix and match in this group, a little, but it seems pretty clear that Bresee, Godchaux, and Shepherd are in wait-and-see mode with younger players like Miller, Broughton, and Ridgeway (who signed a two-year deal this spring) behind them. Shepherd and Godchaux are in the final year of their contracts, and while Bresee could earn a long-term extension, Miller and Broughton will be competing for snaps if they can stay healthy.

Linebackers (6)

  1. Kaden Elliss
  2. Pete Werner
  3. Danny Stutsman
  4. Isaiah Stalbird
  5. Jaylan Ford
  6. Jackson Sirmon

Stutsman is pushing Werner for snaps but it's Elliss on top of the depth chart, and with the Saints rarely fielding three linebackers we could see them go light at this position group again in 2026. Stalbird has a role as a passing-down specialist but special teams performance is what will seal the deal for those fourth or fifth roster spots.

Safeties (5)

  1. Justin Reid
  2. Julian Blackmon
  3. Terrell Burgess
  4. Jordan Howden
  5. Elliott Davison

This is basically the same group as last year, but with Jonas Sanker moving to the "star" position when the Saints use their nickel defense (more on him in a minute). They'll line up with two safeties over the top on the majority of reps, which means a heavy workload for Reid as he continues to lead the secondary. Can Howden win a starting job in a contract year?

Stars (3)

  1. Jonas Sanker
  2. Jayden Price
  3. Beanie Bishop

Terrell Burgess has also been in the mix here, but it looks like the plan is for Price and Bishop (who have manned the slot before) to be options in a pinch if Sanker is unavailable. And this is Sanker's job to lose. He was very effective in the slot in college, and with the Saints continuing to run a lot of nickel personnel under Brandon Staley, he's basically a starter in this role.

Cornerbacks (8)

  1. Kool-Aid McKinstry
  2. Quincy Riley
  3. Isaac Yiadom
  4. Martin Emerson Jr.
  5. Rejzohn Wright
  6. Dalys Beanum
  7. Lorenzo Styles Jr. (rookie)
  8. TJ Hall (rookie)

It hasn't become a competition at the corner spot opposite McKinstry yet, but there's still time. The Saints have won games before with Yiadom starting at cornerback but Emerson appears to be rapidly making up ground, having signed after the draft. You'd hope Riley can hold off the veterans at training camp. Styles and Hall are still waiting for their moment; in Styles' case, he's still recovering from labrum surgery earlier this spring, but he has a clear path to make the roster on special teams.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 Saints 90-man roster, updated depth chart after minicamp and OTAs

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