Kendre Miller’s challenges in Year 2 go beyond new injury
Kendre Miller injured his hamstring on the first day of New Orleans Saints training camp, and he can’t afford to miss much time do to injury. The more time he does, the more difficult it’ll be to catch Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, and even Jordan Mims, who spent last season on the Saints practice squad after playing with Jake Haener at Fresno State in college.
Miller is supposed to be competing with Williams, but if pre-practice team walkthroughs are any indication, Mims is Miller’s true competition. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill observed that Mims was working ahead of Miller with the second-string offense. We shouldn’t look too deeply into this given how early it is in camp, but it also shouldn’t be ignored. The Saints had players divided on separate fields. Mims was on the side with Kamara, Williams and the other starters. Miller wasn’t.
He likely would have mixed in with the second-team had Miller made it through practice. Second-year safety Jordan Howden did, and he was on the same field as Miller during walkthroughs.
Still, it’s insightful on where Miller stands in the pecking order, and that’s fourth in line. This positions him to fight for third opposed to second on the depth chart.
His injury was the main talking point due to his struggles staying on the field last year. Dennis Allen emphatically stated “That’s a player that’s going to have to figure out how to stay healthy, because it’s hard to make the team when you’re in the training room all the time.”
It becomes even harder when you are fighting for third on the depth chart. The most eye-catching story is his health, but his position in the pecking order prior to injury is equally as important.
The Saints only kept three running backs on last year’s initial 53-man roster. You do the math. Dwayne Washington was the fourth rusher in 2022 and 2021 because he was a special teams ace. Would Miller provide enough value to stick around as a fourth running back if it comes to that? He has some security as a third-round draft pick, but his position is far from safe. Let’s hope he overcomes this adversity and plays well in the fall.
