NEW ORLEANS -- The Saints open the 2026 NFL regular season at the Detroit Lions on Sept. 13 (1 p.m. ET, Fox) at Ford Field. But first, they play one more preseason game, Friday at the Dallas Cowboys (8 p.m. ET, ESPN Unlimited), and then must cut their roster to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Who will make the team? Which positions have tough decisions on deck? And where might the lineup be deepest and thinnest this season?
The Saints have had major injuries lately to key players such as defensive end Cameron Jordan, wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, running back Alvin Kamara, guard Dillion Radunz (season-ending) and defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (season-ending). With Kamara, Jordan and Tyson expected to return, the Saints will have to do some roster maneuvering to shore up depth until each returns.
Here is our projection for the 53-man roster for the Saints.
Quarterbacks (3)
Tyler Shough, Zach Wilson, Spencer Rattler
Wilson had a better performance than Rattler in the first preseason game, but neither player has locked down the backup position after a lackluster performance by both quarterbacks against the Rams on Saturday. Rattler has gotten more time with the second-team offense in practice, but the Saints might want to keep all three quarterbacks unless one backup seals the deal in the preseason finale.
Running backs (5)
Alvin Kamara, Travis Etienne Jr., Zamir White, Audric Estime, Kendre Miller
Miller wasn't going to initially make this roster due to his limited availability after being injured in camp, but this running back room has seen injuries all over and he has performed well now that he's healthy again. Kamara is out at least a month with a sprained MCL, and Neal and Estime are also injured.
The Saints traded for White on Sunday, indicating they're concerned about depth. With Devin Neal recently suffering a hamstring injury, assume he (or Estime) ends up on injured reserve to start the season, with White adding depth until the room gets healthy.
Wide receivers (5)
Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, Barion Brown, Bryce Lance, Bub Means
Tyson's injury and Ja'Lynn Polk's retirement opened up a roster spot for another player, and it was a toss-up between Kevin Austin Jr. and Means. Both have had solid camps and will likely stick around in some capacity, but Means gets the nod here.
Tight ends (3)
Juwan Johnson, Noah Fant, Oscar Delp
Johnson and Fant are locks due to their production, and Delp gets a spot due to his third-round draft status. Moliki Matavao doesn't make the roster for now due to numbers needed at running back.
Offensive linemen (9)
Erik McCoy, Kelvin Banks Jr., Cesar Ruiz, Taliese Fuaga, David Edwards, Jeremiah Wright, Asim Richards, William Sherman, Torricelli Simpkins III
Radunz tore his ACL and is out for the season, which leaves a spot open for Simpkins as the backup center. Sherman has played multiple positions in camp, which proves valuable as a backup.
Defensive linemen (10)
Cameron Jordan, Chase Young, Carl Granderson, Tyree Wilson, Anfernee Jennings, Nathan Shepherd, Vernon Broughton, John Ridgeway III, Christen Miller, Davon Godchaux
Bryan Bresee tore his ACL and is out for the season. Godchaux has been hurt, but he'll make the roster with the spot opened up by Bresee. The Saints might have been tempted to put undrafted free agent edge rusher Mike Heldman here after a strong camp by him, but he'll be a practice squad candidate for now.
Linebackers (5)
Kaden Elliss, Pete Werner, Danny Stutsman, Jaylan Ford, Isaiah Stalbird
There aren't any changes here for now. Chris Rumph II switched to this position but he has missed several weeks with an ankle injury. While the severity is unknown, if he begins the season on IR, then this position stays the same as it was pre-camp.
Cornerbacks (5)
Kool-Aid McKinstry, Martin Emerson Jr., Isaac Yiadom, Quincy Riley, Jayden Price
Price, a 2024 undrafted rookie who spent time on the Saints' practice squad last season, played his way onto the roster with a consistently good camp, including an interception in the first preseason game. He has backed up Jonas Sanker at the Star position.
Safeties (5)
Julian Blackmon, Justin Reid, Jordan Howden, Jonas Sanker, Terrell Burgess
Lorenzo Styles Jr. becomes the odd man out here with veteran Burgess making the roster again. Styles, a fifth-round draft pick, can stick around on the practice squad.
Special teams (3)
Zach Wood (LS), Ryan Wright (P), Tanner Brown (K)
Does either kicker want this job? Charlie Smyth entered with the edge due to his time with the team, but a couple of three-miss days in practice were concerning. Brown looked like he could be taking the lead because of that, but his only kick in Saturday's game was a miss. The kicker might not even be in the roster right now, and this position is certainly up for grabs.