NEW ORLEANS

2017 | 11-5, 1st in South Last year in playoffs | 2017

THREE PLAYERS WHO MUST COME THROUGH LT Terron Armstead: Armstead has missed parts of the last three seasons because of injuries and hasn’t played a full season in his five-year career. At 39, Drew Brees isn’t as elusive as he once was, so he needs that blind-side protection.

TE Ben Watson: The Saints are hoping the 37-year-old Watson has something left in the tank. They loved him in 2015, when he had 74 catches for 825 yards with six touchdowns for New Orleans. Can he match that?

DE Marcus Davenport: Saints traded up to draft him, hoping that Davenport can provide some pass rush opposite Cam Jordan. Many players have tried and failed. THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH FS Marcus Williams: The memory of his blunder on the “Minnesota Miracle” won’t fade, but Williams had a great training camp. As a rookie, he had four interceptions in 15 starts. DT David Onyemata: At the moment, he’s neck-and-neck with former first-round pick Sheldon Rankins as the top nose tackle. Onyemata, who came from Nigeria, played collegiately in that football hotbed of Manitoba, Canada.

WR Tre’Quan Smith: The Saints have high hopes for the third-round pick from Central Florida. He’ll challenge for playing time behind Mike Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. FANTASY SLEEPER WR Cameron Meredith: The 6-foot-3 Meredith, a free agent from Chicago, is coming off a major knee injury and has looked good so far. He could be an impactful red-zone option for Brees.