5 takeaways from Day 8 of training camp
3. The Saints’ defensive ends are shaping up
As Rihanna would put it, Marcus Davenport has shone bright like a diamond this training camp, and today was no exception. Admittedly, Davenport hasn’t lived up to his potential since being picked by the Saints in the 2018 NFL Draft, but at least in camp, he’s been surprising everybody with what he can do.
On Thursday, Davenport lined up against James Hurst and dominated. Today, he faced a bigger challenge in Terron Armstead, and he still held his own.
Got a chance to see some one-on-ones.
— Luke Johnson (@ByLukeJohnson) August 6, 2021
Paulson Adebo is really coming on strong as this week has progressed, had him with two more PBUs.
Payton Turner roasted Landon Turner on one rep, and Davenport had two nice reps against Armstead. Saints are 4 deep at DE
I'm excited about the Saints' defensive ends heading into this season. Nothing will change my mind.
— Chris Rosvoglou (@RosvoglouReport) August 6, 2021
Rookie Payton Turner’s been “turning” heads as well, and he’s set to follow in Davenport’s footsteps (but hopefully perform a little better). Like Davenport, Turner was picked in the first round of the draft and the team has high expectations for his first season.
Turner’s still in the learning phase of camp and will need more time to acclimate to the defensive system, but coaches and players have only seen good things from the versatile defender. He picked up a sack against Taysom Hill today, and later in team drills he had to be subbed off because he was so winded from “blowing past linemen off the edge.”
Payton Turner treats LT Kyle Murphy like he’s not even there. Speed bump, as Cam would call it.
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) August 6, 2021
Whether he’s rushing on the edge or in the interior, Turner rounds out a mean defensive line alongside Cam Jordan, Carl Granderson, and Tanoh Kpassagnon.
The rookie’s even serenaded his teammates with an Alicia Keys song (singing both the male and female parts because he’s just that versatile), so he may have won some hearts over already.