Projecting New Orleans Saints rookie roles in 2022 season
Trevor Penning: Starting Left Tackle
With the 19th overall pick in this year’s draft, the Saints took a chance on small-school prospect Trevor Penning with the hopes of turning him into their next starting left tackle. New Orleans lost Terron Armstead in free agency to the Dolphins and that left a massive hole to fill at left tackle, which is why Penning is in town and hoping to fill the open gig.
It’s not a guarantee that Penning wins the starting gig though. The Saints still have James Hurst under contract and he’s proven to be a nice swing option during his time in the Big Easy.
In the early days of training camp, Penning and Hurst have split time with the first team, which is to be expected until the preseason gets underway. That’s when the front office has to show more of who they’re favoring in the competition. Dennis Allen noted that Hurst is currently slated as the starter and it appears that Penning will have to earn the job.
Dennis Allen just said James Hurst is the starter at LT right now. He and Trevor Penning split reps with the ones today. Sounds like they’re going to make Penning earn that spot.
— Luke Johnson (@ByLukeJohnson) July 29, 2022
A shaky preseason performance could lead to him watching the starters from the sideline.