The left guard competition will be an important battle for Saints in training camp

On Wednesday, the New Orleans Saints will have their first practice of training camp. That will mark the official start of some intense battles. Throughout New Orleans’ depth chart, several players will be competing for key roles. Among all of the position battles, one stands out as especially important for the Saints: the battle for starting left guard.

With Andrus Peat now with the Las Vegas Raiders, James Hurst retired, and Ryan Ramczyk on the reserve PUP list, sidelining him for the year, it’s already clear New Orleans will start three new lineman this season. Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning are expected to take over the the tackle positions, but the left gaurd spot is wide open.

Who will start at left guard for the Saints?

Based on the players currently on the roster, the battle will be between Nick Saldiveri and Shane Lemieux. Saldiveri is a second-year lineman who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 Draft. As a rookie last season with the Saints, he played just 18 offensive snaps. Lemieux, on the other hand, joined New Orleans this offseason after four years with the New York Giants.

In four seasons, he has only appeared in 18 games, starting 12, so he’s not all that experienced either. Whoever wins the starting job between Saldiveri and Lemieux will have to overcome that inexperience and deliver, because the Saints will be relying on them on a lot.

New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has made it clear that he wants to run the ball. It’s hard for offenses to run the ball if they aren’t strong in the middle of the line. If Alvin Kamara and the Saints offense are going to have the kind of year Kubiak wants them to have, the offensive line needs to be good, especially on the interior.

In addition to the running game, the interior offensive line is extremely important in the passing game. While most elite rushers are edge defenders, the most destructive kind of pressure is right up the middle. It’s the quickest way to get to a quarterback and get him off his game. If Derek Carr is going to be comfortable in the pocket, New Orleans needs solid left guard play.

So whether it’s Nick Saldiveri or Shane Lemieux, the starting left guard needs to play well in what will be a make-or-break year for the Saints.

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