It’s been an eventful offseason for the New Orleans Saints, who worked throughout the spring to turn over their roster with free agency, draft picks, and even a couple of trade acquisitions. It’s all been aimed at improving the supporting cast around Tyler Shough after the quarterback gave fans something to cheer for. We know he can spin a football, lead a clutch drive, and beat NFC South rivals on the road. Now we need to see if he can steady the ship and take advantage of a stronger roster.
So just how different could the Week 1 lineup in 2026 be from the squad Shough led onto the field in Week 18 of 2025? Let’s run through each position group from that season-ending loss in Atlanta.
Offensive line
- Left tackle: Kelvin Banks Jr. (14 snaps), Asim Richards (54 snaps)
- Left guard: Dillon Radunz (68 snaps)
- Center: Luke Fortner (68 snaps)
- Right guard: Cesar Ruiz (68 snaps)
- Right tackle: Taliese Fuaga (68 snaps)
- Sixth man: Will Sherman (3 snaps)
It was a revolving door at left guard again in 2025, with Radunz getting the nod to close out the season. The Saints had cycled through a couple of different players at that spot before landing David Edwards in free agency, and he’s expected to be a major upgrade. Next to him, it’s Erik McCoy, who is hoping to stay healthy and return to the Pro Bowl in 2026. As long as we’re looking at absences, it’s worth noting Shough had to finish this game with a backup left tackle after Banks was pulled early on. It’s looking like Torricelli Simpkins III is the favorite to back up McCoy after Fortner left the team in free agency.
Wide receivers
- Kevin Austin Jr. (66 snaps), 20 snaps in the slot
- Dante Pettis (52 snaps), 27 snaps in the slot
- Ronnie Bell (36 snaps), 7 snaps in the slot
- Samori Toure (10 snaps), 2 snaps in the slot
This group might have had the biggest shakeup. Pettis and Toure have since been let go, with Austin and Bell left competing against three draft picks and a couple of other new arrivals for their roster spots. In an ideal world the Saints would have Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson, and Devaughn Vele on top of the depth chart with Bryce Lance and Barion Brown backing them up, but everyone needs to show they can stay healthy and outwork guys like Ja’Lynn Polk and Trey Palmer to make the cut.
Running backs
- Audric Estime (57 snaps)
- Evan Hull (8 snaps)
- Nyheim Miller-Hines (1 snap)
Estime took point at running back in the season finale, and he’s the only one of this trio to return for 2026. He’s also facing stiff competition for a roster spot with Kendre Miller and Devin Neal both returning, not to mention Alvin Kamara and Travis Etienne Jr. on top of the depth chart. Estime ran hard and should be in consideration for that RB3 or RB4 spot, but it is worth noting that six of the nine snaps Hull and Miller-Hines played came in passing situations.
Tight ends
- Juwan Johnson (51 snaps), 10 snaps as a blocker, 17 snaps inline
- Moliki Matavao (24 snaps), 17 snaps as a blocker, 20 snaps inline
- Taysom Hill (23 snaps), 7 snaps as a blocker, 3 snaps inline
- Treyton Welch (7 snaps), 5 snaps as a blocker, 3 snaps inline
Most of these players are returning — everyone but Hill, at least so far — but the Saints added a lot of talent to the group by signing Noah Fant and drafting Oscar Delp, plus Cody Hardy, who was guaranteed $170,000 to sign as a rookie free agent. The top three spots appear to be locked in place, but it looks like just one or two of the tight ends who Shough finished the season with will be on the final roster this year. The competition between Matavao, Welch, and Hardy for that fourth spot could be intense.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints have overhauled Tyler Shough’s offensive supporting cast
