3 Saints who locked up a roster spot in preseason Week 3

The 2024 preseason is officially over, and so is training camp. Now, the New Orleans Saints, along with the rest of the league, have the tough task of trimming their rosters from 90 players to 53. They must review all of the practices and preseason games to determine which 53 players make up the best roster.

Obviously, some talented players are going to be cut. The Saints will only be able to keep 53 guys, so that’s only a handful of players per position. That’s why the performances in the final preseason game were so important. New Orleans rested its starters, and allowed the roster-bubble players to make their case.

In the 30-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans, a few players secured their spot on the regular-season roster.

3. Rico Payton locked up a Saints roster spot

To be fair, Rico Payton probably secured his roster spot before this game even started. The undrafted rookie has been stellar all throughout the preseason. Receiving his fair share of targets, he has looked like a shut-down corner against the guys he’s been lining up against.

On Sunday, he found a new way to make a splash play, recording a massive sack on a cornerback blitz. He finished the game with three tackles, one sack, and likely a roster spot.

2. Equanimeous St. Brown locked up a Saints roster spot

Another standout from the game was veteran wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown. He started the game, and made some big plays early, and those plays should help him survive cut day. He was targeted four times, catching three passes for 40 yards and a touchdown.

St. Brown and A.T. Perry were the only reliable receivers on the field, as the other guys kept dropping passes. Throughout the game, it became clear that St. Brown will likely get the nod over the other receivers on the bubble.

1. Jordan Mims locked up a Saints roster spot

Jordan Mims has been in a weird spot since camp started. When Kendre Miller went down with a hamstring injury, Mims started taking the No. 3 running back spot. Everyone assumed Miller would eventually return and reclaim that spot, but while those assumptions were being made, Mims was making the most of his opportunity.

On Sunday, he put an exclamation point on a strong training camp and preseason, finishing the game with five carries for 33 yards. Meanwhile, Miller still hasn’t returned from his hamstring injury. The Saints won't be able to justify keeping Miller over Mims; Mims has earned his spot on the roster.

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