With one preseason game left to play, some New Orleans Saints preseason position battles appear to be coming to a close. Strong efforts by several roster hopefuls in the last two games have vaulted them into front runner status in their respective competitions. We can now begin to look at not only which players will sneak onto the roster, but how they might fit into the depth chart. Here’s a final look at where the Saints preseason position battles stand.
By Ian Riise | Last Word On Sports
Quarterback
While Teddy Bridgewater is still a safe bet to serve as the immediate backup to Drew Brees, Taysom Hill has played well enough this preseason to at least put some heat on Bridgewater.
Hill threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns in the first three preseason games, completing 64.3 percent of his passes and generating a 103.6 passer rating. He has one interception to his name, but that came on a well-thrown pass to tight end Dan Arnold that was bobbled and practically handed to the defender. If you remove that play from Hill’s preseason stats, he would lead all qualifying quarterbacks with a 116.2 passer rating. Hill has also gained 113 rushing yards on 13 scrambles.
A caveat to Hill’s impressive preseason is the fact that he’s played almost entirely against 3rd and 4th team defenses. Hill is clearly more comfortable and confident going through his reads than he was last preseason, but it’s unclear if Hill will look as good against better competition. While Saints head coach Sean Payton is unlikely to unseat Bridgewater as the top backup quarterback, Hill has earned a shot to start in the final preseason game.
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