The New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers headline a one-game Sunday slate in Week 2 of the 2023 NFL preseason. As is the case for every preseason affair, plenty of rookies and unproven players will be fighting for roster spots, including two players — a Saints rookie receiver and a Chargers undrafted free agent cornerback — who caught some eyes last week.
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Chargers (7:05 p.m. ET)
Saints offensive focus: A.T. Perry
A sixth-round selection by the Saints in the 2023 NFL Draft, Perry is making a strong push for meaningful snaps in the regular season after an impressive preseason debut. He played 16 snaps as a receiver and saw six targets, coming away with six receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown.
The former Wake Forest standout could easily find himself fourth, and perhaps even pushing for third, in target share among the Saints wide receivers this season.
Saints defensive focus: Anfernee Orji
Orji went undrafted out of Vanderbilt after a college career in which he never earned a 70.0-plus PFF grade over the course of a season. He looked better than ever last week, though, albeit on just 16 snaps. He finished the game with a 93.4 PFF grade after registering three tackles resulting in a defensive stop and a quarterback hurry on one of his two pass-rushing snaps.
Amid a crowded linebacker room, Orji faces an uphill battle to make this roster, but he will give the Saints something to think about, or make himself an option for other teams, if he can repeat that performance this week.
Chargers offensive focus: Easton Stick
Barring something catastrophic or the Chargers being in a position to rest starters, we’re not going to see much of Easton Stick in the regular season. The 2019 fifth-round draft pick played well last week, though, going 14-of-21 for 109 yards and a touchdown with two big-time throws. Assuming he plays extensively again this week, and there’s no reason to think he won’t, he will be a feature in a lot of DFS lineups.
Chargers defensive focus: Cam Brown
The undrafted free agent out of Ohio State got the start and saw 59 snaps in the Chargers' preseason opener. He was targeted six times on 40 coverage snaps, allowing three receptions for just 19 yards, with two of the incompletions coming by way of pass breakups. The Chargers are just about set at the top of their cornerback depth chart, but Brown can stick on the team and earn a reserve role if he continues to play at a high level.
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