The Jacksonville Jaguars head to the Big Easy this Sunday to take on the New Orleans Saints in their second game of the preseason. Here are three key matchups to look out for:

As it’s preseason, it’s very difficult to know who will be on the field and for how long. And as a result, predicting matchups is tricky. So let’s use these exhibition games to highlight some names flashing as they battle for a roster spot, and who they could potentially be up against.

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One such name will be familiar to Jaguars fans. Kevin Austin began his NFL career in Jacksonville, signing as a UDFA after going undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2022. Despite obvious talent he could never quite crack the 53-man roster, and recently had a spell in the UFL with the Birmingham Stallions. Now back in the league with the Saints, he’s pushing hard in preseason to challenge a fairly weak wide receiver group; last weekend against the Chargers, Austin was a rare bright spot in a shoddy performance, reeling in four catches for 43 yards and generally looking lively. Another performance like that at the Superdome on Sunday, and he will be in the conversation as New Orleans’ WR5 or WR6.

Lo and behold, starting corner Tyson Campbell is dealing with an undisclosed injury; a familiar story for the Jags. He’s considered day-to-day by Liam Coen, and as such it would be surprising if we see him suit up on Sunday. That could offer Travis Hunter more opportunities on defense. The early signs suggest Hunter will be a mainstay as a receiver and sprinkled into the secondary in an effort to manage his snap count; no doubt Anthony Campanile will want a good look at him ahead of the real action to get a feel of what he can bring as a cornerback. The big bodied Austin represents a physical challenge for Hunter.

How much do we really learn from a preseason game? Saturday’s tilt against the Pittsburgh Steelers was a back and forth affair, but what was evident was the lack of pressure on Mason Rudolph. The Jags front seven only really got going once Rudolph left the field, and considering he’s the backup in Pittsburgh who was going up against plenty of starters in black & teal on the first drive, a pass rush improvement will be expected against the Saints.

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I imagine we see a little more of Josh Hines-Allen on Sunday as the star edge defender looks to get up to speed ahead of the regular season. Usually aligned on the right, Hines-Allen will likely be facing a rookie; Kelvin Banks was selected ninth overall in this year’s NFL Draft after a stellar college career with the Texas Longhorns. No doubt Hines-Allen will be licking his chops and eager to welcome Banks to the pro game, but the Saints’ new blindside protector comes with a strong resume. The 315lb lineman boasts the Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award and Jacobs Blocking trophy in his cabinet. Whilst that doesn’t guarantee success at the next level, it shows he’s played at an elite level to this point. It will be interesting to see if he has to take some early lumps or he can stymie one of the best quarterback hunters in the NFL.

Whilst the established starters can use preseason for fine-tuning their bodies or familiarizing themselves with the playbook, for most it’s a gruesome battle for a roster spot. It’s a numbers game; teams have an idea of how many they want to carry at each position, and the only goal is to make sure you’re not lower on the depth chart than that number. So it’s always interesting to see talent shine when they have their opportunity – and these two turned some heads last week…

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Bhayshul Tuten has already established himself as a fans’ favourite, impressing with his toughness, low center of gravity and burst. He showed promise against the Steelers last week, his 24 yards on six carries not quite doing his performance justice. He was a factor in the passing game with two receptions, and recorded his first touchdown in the 4th quarter with an 8-yard run that was helped with team-effort scrum. If he gets another chance to shine on Sunday, don’t expect him to waste it – Tuten likely has the inside track on the RB3 spot that should see him named to the final 53 once all is said and done.

Someone trying to keep him quiet will be Saints linebacker Jaylan Ford, who like Tuten is also a rookie selected on Day 3 of the NFL Draft this year. Ford seemed to be the only one trying to stop the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday, racking up five tackles as he saw plenty of gametime in the second half. Buried on the depth chart in New Orleans, he’ll be looking for another strong performance on Sunday. Going up against Tuten is an intriguing bottom of the roster battle.