Who was the Saints’ breakout player vs. the 49ers?

With the second game of the preseason in the books, let’s take a look at who stood out this week for New Orleans.

The New Orleans Saints fell 16-10 to the San Francisco 49ers in their second preseason matchup of 2024. However, the starters looked much better on Sunday night compared to the team’s victory in the preseason opener. New Orleans managed to execute one of their longest drives in years by opening up the offense with a potent run game, something they’ve lacked in recent seasons.

This week’s breakout player was all over the field on Sunday night, continuing his fight for a roster spot in a loaded position group. The breakout player for the Saints’ Week 2 preseason loss to the 49ers is LB Anfernee Orji.

After an impressive training camp, former UDFA linebacker Anfernee Orji (#58) had a rough showing against the Arizona Cardinals. Nonetheless, the second-year pro out of Vanderbilt bounced back with a stellar performance on Sunday night in Santa Clara, recording eight tackles and five stops against San Francisco. After receiving a 47.7 overall grade in Arizona, Orji responded with a 91.6 overall grade (90.6 run-defense, 83.5 coverage) vs. the 49ers, per Pro Football Focus.

This was a much-needed performance for Orji given the talent in the New Orleans linebacker room. With the offseason addition of former Kansas City Chiefs LB Willie Gay, the recent extension of Saints LB Pete Werner, and the emergence of LB’s Monty Rice and Khaleke Hudson—who are also competing for a roster spot—Orji has his work cut out for him in the final game of his second preseason vs. the Tennessee Titans.

Honorable Mentions

• RB Jamaal Williams - Following a severely underwhelming first season in New Orleans, the former Detroit Lions ball carrier finally found his groove in Sunday night’s loss to San Francisco. Williams rushed for 32 yards on just five carries (6.4 avg), highlighted by a 15-yard first-down run, earning a 76.3 overall grade from PFF. I anticipate an increase in the veteran’s production under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
• CB Rejzohn Wright - The second-year DB and former Carolina Panther didn’t have the game he hoped for against the Cardinals in Week 1 of the preseason, making his recent performance on Sunday night even more crucial. The Saints’ CB unit is one of the deepest in the NFL, and Wright’s fight for a roster spot has been intense as he competes with players like UDFA Rico Payton and former Green Bay Packers DB Shemar Jean-Charles, who have both performed well as of late. Against the 49ers, Wright totaled five tackles, three stops, and two pass breakups, earning him an 81.4 overall grade (82.3 coverage, 78.7 tackling), per PFF.
• OG Kyle Hergel - The UDFA guard out of Boston College had a fantastic game on Sunday night. Hergel saw snaps at both LG (38) and RG (10), while seeing 21 run-blocking snaps and 27 pass-blocking snaps, not allowing a single pressure or hurry....