NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Jameis Winston was obviously quite good in the first half. He did have the advantage of a clean pocket and that is huge.
Remember, in the first preseason game, the Saints two starting tackles Ryan Ramczyk and Terron Armstead did not play.
They kept Jameis clean, as Winston made his bid for the starting job.
Winston brings the deep ball into the Saints offense, and Sean Payton will definitely want to take advantage of that. But, the deep ball can be a double edged sword. You can make big plays, but also throw picks. Winston has to be selective.
In two preseason games, Winston is 16 of 22 for 219 yards, three TD passes, and interception.
It will be hard to put that production on the bench.
He was the best player on offense in the first half, but the best player on the field is Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.
Johnson plays the pass, plays the run, and is a very good open field tackler.
He is another in a string of outstanding mid round draft picks by the Saints. Gardner-Johnson had 6 tackles and pass breakup in the first half.
Hope the injury to Adam Trautman is not serious. The Saints need him desperately.
I think Trevor Lawrence is going to be a great NFL quarterback. Great. But he needs help.
So, here’s my prediction, with the 10th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select (fill in the blank, offensive tackle).
Talk at you after the game.