Our countdown to the New Orleans Saints' regular season continues with Day 31, making the current owner of the No. 31 jersey our Saints Player of the Day. That's second-year safety Jordan Howden, who must make a big leap forward in 2024.

• Name (Age): Jordan Howden (24)

• Position: Defensive back

• Height, weight: 6-foot-0, 209 pounds

• Relative Athletic Score: 8.88

• 2024 salary cap hit: $996,682

• College: Minnesota

• Drafted: Round 5 in 2023 (New Orleans Saints)

• NFL experience: 2 years

Howden has a lot of promise. He has all the athletic ability in the world, proven playmaking potential in college at Minnesota (he logged 20 passes defensed and four interceptions  with the Golden Gophers), and a strong sense of accountability -- he was chosen as a team captain for good reason.

We just need to see him put it all together in the pros. He was benched in favor of Johnathan Abram late last year and the veteran has been pushing him for the starting job all summer. Howden has been slowed down by a shoulder injury, too. He needs to stay on the field, learn from his mistakes, and earn his coaches' trust. He's done it before at a good college program. He just needs to do it again.

It would be huge to see him go the distance with the black and gold. If Howden can meet expectations and prove to be a reliable starter, the Saints would have another crucial piece of their youth movement in place. Getting back to winning games and playing successful football hinges on having young players develop and handle big responsibilities. It's on Howden to prove he can be that guy for them.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Jordan Howden is the Saints Player of Day 31