The New Orleans Saints are still waiting to see their first player included in ESPN's top-10 positional rankings. Kool-Aid McKinstry received votes, and now Travis Etienne Jr. and Alvin Kamara have also received votes in their running back rankings.
It wasn't unexpected to see Etienne's name in the mix, but it was interesting to see Kamara even receiving votes. Interesting isn’t the right word. It’s surprising to see Kamara pop up in the article at all after having the worst year of his career at his age.Â
Maybe it’s a sign that someone believes Kamara still has something left in the tank, or maybe it was just a legacy pick. Regardless, it was surprising to see his name even get a vote.
Proves the Saints have one of the best RB duos in the NFL
While the only ones who seem to have doubts about the pairing of Alvin Kamara and Travis Etienne are in the front office, this is just another reason to believe in the tandem. These rankings won’t sway them, but it should solidify the stance of keeping the two running backs together.Â
There isn’t another team in the league with two players on the list. Kamara and Etienne both found themselves outside of even the top-10, and that placement proves two things.Â
The Saints don’t have top line talent, but they do have one of the best running back tandems in the NFL. Truthfully, the latter can be just as valuable as the former at times.Â
The Saints don’t have a top-10 running back. There’s an argument for top-15, and that lack of a Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson could easily make one prefer those duos over the Saints’ duo. It’s understandable, but the Saints have two running backs who are really good and can be interchangeable.Â
Etienne and Kamara are both threats in the running and passing game, so defenses won’t be able to guess what the Saints are doing based on the personnel. There's a huge benefit to that that goes understated because it doesn't look the same as a running back going for 150 yards.
Etienne isn't going to take over games in the same way Gibbs may do or run for 1400 yards in a season. It's also not what the Saints are asking for out of him.
Etienne is going to bring an explosive ability to New Orleans, along with the productivity of a 1000 yard season. Pair that with Kamara, and the Saints have a duo that can give the Saints one of the best rushing attacks in the league.
Add us as a preferred source on Google