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The New Orleans Saints were the last team outside the playoff picture in the NFC in 2023. They fought all the way despite a shoulder injury plaguing Derek Carr all season long. Hopefully, better health for him and players all across the Saints’ roster will lead to more success in 2024. What would also help is contributions from unheralded gems. A couple of players on their roster, like Kendre Miller and A.T. Perry, fit that bill for the Saints. New Orleans’ offense would get a big lift if those guys step up this season.
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This season should almost be regarded as Kendre Miller’s rookie season. He entered the NFL with plenty of promise after a strong 2022 season at TCU. Miller ran for 1,399 yards that year along with a robust 6.2 yards per carry average. He also scored 17 touchdowns that year and caught 16 passes. For his career at Fort Worth, Miller averaged 6.67 yards per carry.
The Saints liked what they saw from Miller enough to draft him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, he never really got a chance to showcase his talent. Miller got injured with a sprained MCL in the Horned Frogs’ playoff game against the Michigan Wolverines and that injury lingered all the way into training camp.
From there, he suffered all sorts of different ailments. He pulled his hamstring and sprained both his shoulder and his ankle later on in the year. It was a completely lost season for the TCU rookie.
The only real chance Miller got to show what he’s capable of was in Week 18 last season. After being inactive the previous seven games, New Orleans gave him 13 carries in their season finale. He turned those looks into 73 yards and a touchdown against their bitter rival Atlanta Falcons.
RB Kendre Miller saw 14 opps in Week 18 vs ATL.
He doesn't turn 22 for another 37 days. And if it helps your brain, include him in this year's rookie RB class after he missed 9 games last year. pic.twitter.com/oaWE0kSnfp
— Kyle Borgognoni (@kyle_borg) May 5, 2024
New Orleans did not get much production on the ground from their running backs last season. Alvin Kamara averaged 3.9 yards per carry last season and 3.8 true yards per carry according to playerprofiler.com. Jamaal Williams was even worse. His average was 2.9 in both categories.
It isn’t crazy to think Miller is the best running back on the Saints’ roster in 2024. It’ll be worth watching to see if he can take over the running back room this season.
AT Perry looked the part of a sleeper in last year’s NFL Draft. Perry is a big-bodied receiver who is excellent at snagging the ball out of the air. He can do some things after the catch...
