Who makes the cut with just a dozen open roster spots?
As the start of the NFL preseason ramps up, many analysts and beat writers covering the New Orleans Saints have shared their pre-preseason 53-man roster projections for 2025.
After comparing four sets of predictions from around the Saints beat — highlighting picks from John Sigler here at Saints Wire, Ross Jackson at LouisianaSports.Net, Nick Underhill at NewOrleans.Football, and Matthew Paras at Nola.com — we identified 41 players who are widely considered locks to make the team. That leaves 25 players on the roster bubble as preseason action kicks off.
Among those on the bubble, three are running backs, which sets up a particularly intriguing battle for depth behind Alvin Kamara. Kendre Miller and Velus Jones Jr. were picked in three of the four projections. The wide receiver room is also worth watching with several players vying for the final roster slots. We’ve got a 50/50 split between the two punters on the roster, and recent free agent signings like defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard and offensive lineman Shane Lemieux are not consensus picks just yet. Just one mockup has former second-round defensive end Isaiah Foskey making the cut.
So, Saints fans — of these 25 “bubble” players, which 12 do you think makes the cut, and who do you see being left off when final rosters are set? Here’s the list by position, with rookies in bold and the number of projections including each player in parentheses:
RB Kendre Miller (3)RB Velus Jones Jr. (3)RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (2)RB Cam Akers (1)WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. (3)WR Dante Pettis (2)TE Michael Jacobson (2)TE Foster Moreau (1)TE Moliki Matavao (1)OL Shane Lemieux (2)OL Josiah Ezirim (2)OL Kyle Hergel (1)DL Nathan Shepherd (3)DL Jonah Williams (3)DL Jonathan Bullard (2)DL Omari Thomas (1)EDGE Chris Rumph (2)EDGE Fadil Diggs (1)EDGE Isaiah Foskey (1)LB Jaylan Ford (1)DB Rico Payton (2)DB Terrell Burgess (2)P Kai Kroger (2)P James Burnip (2)