Saints: 3 sleepers who can make a difference in 2021

By Jonny Camer | Aug 16, 2021

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 25: Drew Brees #9 and Alvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints embrace following a touchdown by Kamara during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 25, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

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Payton Turner (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Saints Sleepers in 2021 – No. 2: Payton Turner

Many fans were shocked to see Payton Turner selected with the 28th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Many fans questioned the decision with a lack of corners and a young defensive end in Marcus Davenport on the team.

Now that fans have had some time to digest the pick, they will warm up to Turner. He’s had a nice training camp so far and maybe part of that has been because he and Davenport are competing against each other and trying to light a fire under each other.

Turner needs to improve in the run defense aspect, which was a weak spot in most of his scouting reports. However, with the overwhelming praise that Turner is receiving, he likely gets more playing time than initially thought.

On top of this, with Davenport’s injury history, it’s likely he at least misses one to two games. Turner can come off the bench and provide big plays and potentially even start later in the season.

Not many people expect to see him on the field this season, but with the vision Sean Payton has, he’ll be seeing a lot more playing time than people think. A six to seven-sack season is not out of the question for Turner, making him a big sleeper.