Every Reason the Saints Will Not Have a 1,000 Yard Rusher in 2023

Jason Watson Jr • July 21, 2023

An overview of New Orleans' backfield

New Orleans, LA- Having a balanced, efficient running game is important to playing winning football and having success in the NFL, right? That is not necessarily true in the case of the New Orleans Saints.


Over the 55-year course of the franchise, the Saints have had a player rush for 1,000 yards or more a mere 13 times. The last time a running back accomplished the feat while wearing black and gold was in 2017 when Mark Ingram II was head of the backfield committee.


Although current starter Alvin Kamara has run for 850+ in four of his six NFL seasons, he has yet to eclipse the thousand-yard mark. It seems likely that he would be next in line to join the short list of Chuck Muncie (1979), George Rogers (1981, 1983), Rueben Mayes (1986), Dalton Hilliard (1989), Ricky Williams (2000-01), Deuce McAllister (2002-04, 2005), and Ingram (2016-17), but not this season. Not only will Kamara fail to hit 1,000 yards rushing on the season, but no running back in a crowded backfield will hit the bar in 2023 for New Orleans.


The Saints will enter training camp with Kamara, Jamaal Williams, who signed a three-year contract this offseason, and a third-round draft pick, Kendre Miller of TCU. A talented running back room is on display, but could they be overloaded?


A cloud of questions surrounds Kamara about how many opportunities he will get with the ball this season. A possible lengthy suspension looms overhead for the star running back. That, paired with a drop-off in production from last season, is pointing to no signs that Kamara will climb back to the level he was at in 2020 when he tied for second league-wide with 16 touchdowns.


Williams, a 28-year-old halfback, is coming off a career-high 1,066 yards with the Detroit Lions. He should get a large portion of the carries in Kamara’s absence, but will it be enough to reach a thousand throughout the season?


As for Miller, he will enter the league after putting up 1,399 yards in his junior season and helping lead TCU to the National Championship game. The rookie running back led the nation with an active career mark of 6.7 yards per carry. Members of the Saints’ staff believe that Miller will come in and make an impact immediately, but he will compete to see the field much, especially from the third-string role on the depth chart.


The Saints have been an air raid offense for a long time under coach Sean Payton and Drew Brees at the helm under center. New Orleans signed quarterback Derek Carr to a four-year deal this past March. Teams do not typically sign veteran QBs to big-money contracts just to hand the ball off, and it’s more of the same from this roster.


A wide-receiver room stacked with a returning Michael Thomas, blossoming Chris Olave, and speedy guys like Rashid Shaheed and A.T. Perry seems like the perfect recipe for Carr to be successful in his first year throwing in the Big Easy. There are many mouths to feed in the 2023 edition of the Saints’ offense and no shortage of eagerness to play.


If you look back at the history of seasons when New Orleans did have a 1,000-yard rusher on the roster, you find that the success was minimal at best. The Saints only had winning records in five out of those thirteen seasons; they had a .500 record in four seasons. There are differing factors around the league and other roster holes that would leave a lot on the table when thinking about the run game’s effect on team performance, but a thousand yards on the ground will not single-handedly win anything in today’s NFL state. The Saints’ leading runner during their Super Bowl season was Pierre Thomas, only finishing with 793 yards.


While it may be possible for the Saints to have an efficient ground game this season, not one individual from the backfield will reach that summit of a thousand yards. The five-year-long drought will linger on.


Do you think otherwise and believe New Orleans will finish the 2023 campaign with a running back reaching 1,000 yards? If so, who would it be? Let us kneaux what you think!


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Why Peyton "Pop" Houston Could Play a Major Role in LSU's Pursuit of Easton RoyalWhy Peyton "Pop" Houston Could Play a Major Role in LSU's Pursuit of Easton Royal

By Auston Taylor • July 8, 2026
 LSU has made it clear that five-star wide receiver Easton Royal remains one of its top priorities in the 2027 recruiting class. Although Royal is currently committed to Texas, LSU has continued to recruit him aggressively. Based on recent recruiting events and public reporting, one factor that could strengthen the Tigers' position is the presence of quarterback commit Peyton "Pop" Houston. While no outcome is guaranteed in recruiting, Houston's relationship with Royal has become one of the more intriguing storylines surrounding LSU's 2027 class. According to recruiting coverage from The Opening and reports from And The Valley Shook, Houston and Royal showcased noticeable chemistry while competing together on the national stage. Houston also drew attention by winning the event's longest throw competition with a reported 67-yard throw, further reinforcing why many evaluators consider him one of the premier quarterback prospects in the 2027 class. In my view, Houston has the potential to become much more than another highly rated offensive commitment. Elite quarterbacks often become magnets for other top recruits, and early signs suggest Houston could have that kind of influence on LSU's 2027 recruiting class. Why Houston Matters in Royal's Recruitment Quarterback and wide receiver relationships have become one of the most influential factors in modern recruiting. Elite receivers aren't simply choosing a school—they're choosing an offense, a coaching staff, and perhaps most importantly, the quarterback who will help maximize their abilities. If Royal ultimately views Houston as LSU's quarterback of the future, it gives the Tigers another compelling selling point. Rather than asking Royal to imagine what the offense could become, LSU can point to chemistry that has already been displayed during national recruiting events. That doesn't guarantee a commitment flip, but it does provide LSU with something tangible that few recruiting pitches can offer: an established connection between two elite prospects. LSU's History Shows Why This Matters LSU's greatest offensive seasons have consistently featured elite quarterbacks throwing to elite receivers. During the Tigers' historic 2019 National Championship season, Joe Burrow captured the Heisman Trophy while throwing to arguably the greatest receiving corps in college football history—Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Terrace Marshall Jr. That offense rewrote NCAA record books and remains the standard for modern college football offenses. A few years later, history repeated itself. Jayden Daniels won the 2023 Heisman Trophy while benefiting from one of the nation's most explosive receiving duos in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Daniels' remarkable development was certainly his own, but LSU's elite receiving talent allowed the offense to reach another level. The lesson is clear: great quarterbacks elevate receivers, but elite receivers also help quarterbacks reach championship-level production. That history gives LSU a compelling message for recruits considering Baton Rouge. Peyton "Pop" Houston's Development Houston's rise as one of Louisiana's premier quarterback prospects is backed by more than recruiting rankings. Evaluators consistently praise his arm strength, touch, ability to extend plays outside the pocket, and willingness to attack defenses vertically. His continued development at Evangel Christian Academy has made him one of the foundation pieces of LSU's 2027 recruiting class. The Bigger Picture If LSU eventually pairs Peyton Houston with Easton Royal, it would represent much more than another recruiting victory. It would signal that LSU landed a quarterback capable of attracting elite talent around him while adding a receiver willing to build alongside that vision. Programs that consistently compete for championships often see recruiting momentum build this way. Elite quarterbacks attract receivers. Elite receivers attract additional offensive talent. Once that cycle begins, recruiting classes can quickly become special. None of this guarantees that Easton Royal will flip his commitment. Texas remains in a strong position, and recruiting decisions can change for countless reasons. However, Houston's emergence gives LSU something every elite program hopes to have: a quarterback capable of becoming the centerpiece of an entire recruiting class. LSU has already witnessed what happens when championship-caliber quarterbacks are paired with elite receivers. Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy. Jayden Daniels won the Heisman Trophy. If Peyton "Pop" Houston eventually helps bring Easton Royal to Baton Rouge, it could become one of the defining recruiting stories of LSU's 2027 class—and perhaps the first step toward building another explosive Tiger offense.

Tight End Room Outlook: Revamped and Ready To Roll

By Kaden Arkeder • July 4, 2026
The tight end room has some fresh blood and they look poised to be more impactful heading into next season. With the new arrivals of Noah Fant and third round draft pick Oscar Delp the offense will have the ability to play more in multiple tight end sets to create mismatches for the defense. Multiple tight end sets should allow the Saints to improve the run game and conversely the play action game. Playing in tight end heavy sets was something they were unable to do more of last year due to injuries and lack of talent at the tight end position. Mainstay and the only returning starting caliber player is Juwan Johnson. Johnson had a good year last year as one of the few reliable targets in the passing game aside from Chris Olave. Johnson is looking to build on a solid year where he had 77 receptions for 889 receiving yards with 3 touchdowns. He was a security blanket when Rattler was starting and had quite a few big plays when Shough took over as the starting quarterback. With Shough coming into the season as the presumed starter I expect their connection to be even better next season. Someone hoping to have a better connection with a new QB is Noah Fant. Fant was a first round pick back in 2019 with the Broncos but has never quite lived up to his draft status. Fant will be playing on his third team in three years as he seeks to be a quality rotational piece in the offense and find stability for his career here in New Orleans. Fant should be utilized more in the passing game than in the running game but should be able to hold his own when called upon to do his part on run downs. Fant has been on a statistical decline since his time with Denver as his best receiving season came in at 68/670/4 back in 2021. Although his stats have been declining Fant still has plenty to offer with his athleticism and should produce more given a better opportunity. After Fant in the depth chart should be Oscar Delp who could be the x-factor of the tight end room after being selected in the third round of the draft this year. Delp brings a versatile option to the offense as he can lineup in various spots and handle the rigors of blocking in the run game. Delp’s calling card in college was his elite athleticism which jumps off the screen when you watch his tape. He has the ability to turn a five yard catch into an explosive play with how quickly he can get to top speed. Delp is an adequate, willing blocker where like most new tight ends in the league has room to improve in the blocking area of his game. With his versatility and athleticism I believe Delp will play a pivotal role in the offense this upcoming season. With Delp presumed to round out the depth chart at tight end the remaining tight ends will be competing for spots on the practice squad or spots on another team. This group includes Cody Hardy, Treyton Welch, Moliki Matavao, and Zaire Mitchell-Paden. We’ve seen Welch and Matavao from last season fill in admirably after some injuries but are best served as bench options at this point in time in their development. This group of roster hopefuls should hopefully provide some good competition from one another as we progress through training camp and preseason here shortly. Overall this group has a lot more promise heading into this season as it did last year. By getting younger and more athletic the tight ends will play a more prominent role in Kellen Moore’s offense. Whether it’s Juwan building on last season or Fant having a bounce back year or Delp proving to be revelation, the team is going to have plenty of options to choose from to attack the defense. Exactly what this team needed after not having enough last season.
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