# Grant Chachere: Reviewing the Saints' unofficial depth chart, Chachere says Devaughn Vele is the No. 3 receiver, Barion Brown will be the fourth receiver and a lock to make the 53-man roster, and Travis Etienne will out-carry Alvin Kamara as the lead back. **Claimed:** Aug 12, 2026 **Pundit:** Grant Chachere — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/grant-chachere **Outlet:** Sports Illustrated — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/sports-illustrated **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.si.com/nfl/saints/onsi/4-major-takeaways-from-the-saints-unofficial-depth-chart-01kzspx5ty16 4 checkable claims — 3 depth chart calls and 1 roster spot call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 1 of 4 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess at the same calls. Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 2 and below it on 1. > His performance in training camp so far likely has him as the fourth wide receiver in the rotation after Olave, Tyson and Vele. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Barion Brown to make the roster** - Kind: Roster Spot Calls · About: Barion Brown, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Barion Brown to be 4th on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Barion Brown, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Travis Etienne to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Travis Etienne, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Devaughn Vele to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Barion Brown — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/barion-brown - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/saints - Travis Etienne — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/travis-etienne - Devaughn Vele — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/devaughn-vele ## What others said about the same people - Ross Jackson on Juwan Johnson: Ross Jackson gives his final preseason 53-man roster projection for the New Orleans Saints, naming who makes the initial roster at every position group, who starts on injured reserve or the practice squad, and who the five starting offensive linemen and kicker will be. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b43691e9-1673-4236-ba12-7d60ad3b95f5 (scored 100) - Doug Joubert on Will Sherman: Joubert projects the Saints' 53-man roster ahead of the cutdown deadline, naming every player he expects to make the team by position group, plus several players he expects to receive PUP/IR designations, and predicting Torricelli Simpkins will later be moved to the practice squad. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/80c9bcdf-68ec-49a5-a1d1-e59f4bee2653 (scored 100) - Doug Joubert on Kelvin Banks Jr.: Joubert grades the Saints' units after their win at Baltimore and predicts that left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. will be placed on injured reserve, with one of three practice-squad tackles potentially elevated. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6e48166c-9792-4e2b-aae7-fe44b83758e2 (scored 0) - Doug Joubert on Daniel Carlson: Joubert expects Daniel Carlson to win the Saints' place kicker job, as reflected in the site's final 53-man roster projection. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a033fb58-794c-40be-88ea-bc10e06f0617 (scored 100) - Ross Jackson on Carl Granderson: Ross Jackson lays out his early defensive 53-man roster projection for the 2026 Saints, naming five edge rushers, four interior defensive linemen, five cornerbacks, five linebackers and five safeties, plus his kicker, punter and long snapper, and sends Mike Heldman, Chris Rumph and Jackson Sirmon to the practice squad. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/43240125-25d4-4060-bbc1-fa62fe5cd6d9 (scored 100) - Ross Jackson on Jeremiah Wright: Ross Jackson projects the New Orleans Saints' offensive 53-man roster: three quarterbacks with Tyler Shough starting and Spencer Rattler as the backup, four running backs including Alvin Kamara, six wide receivers with Jalen Polk making it, three tight ends, ten offensive linemen with a set starting five, and Charlie Smith at kicker. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/5f4d7215-b47b-478d-8a8e-3199f34273ef (scored 0) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Fox Sports on Michael Penix Jr.: Fox Sports states that a healthy Tua Tagovailoa will serve as Atlanta's backup quarterback in Week 3, with Michael Penix Jr. handling the starting duties against Green Bay. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a90e69a8-707f-43e9-a63e-cdb3e7bd0829 (scored 100) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Aaron Jones: In previewing the 10 most intriguing fantasy performers of Week 2, Fitzmaurice expects Atlanta's quarterback problems to persist with Tua Tagovailoa unlikely to play and Michael Penix Jr. not ready to return, flags Falcons slot corner Billy Bowman Jr. as a possible Week 2 returnee, and describes Aaron Jones as Minnesota's lead back and Kaelon Black as the clear backup to Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/31adc8bb-8f15-453f-bbcf-cab44e29b8b3 (scored 100) - Matt Severance on Deshaun Watson: The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/944568ce-7205-409f-8354-a392016fd8bf (scored 100) - Rafael Zamorano on Deshaun Watson: Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d7d7e0a2-61e0-4525-970b-b01a2356f11b (scored 100) - Rich Hribar on Tua Tagovailoa: Hribar expects Tua Tagovailoa to be Atlanta's starting quarterback for Week 2 while Michael Penix stays out, with Penix's return closer to Week 4. He is unenthusiastic about the Falcons' offense either way and treats Bryce Young as a fringe fantasy starter. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/124ac755-a942-4382-8bad-177da7f8170d (scored 0) - Bradley Locker on Carson Wentz: PFF's unsigned adjusted power rankings after Week 1 of the 2026 season place the Bills first, the Rams second and the Dolphins last, with notes on quarterback situations in Seattle, Minnesota and Cleveland. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a3716f21-0488-4fc8-a414-c25c2d781a6e (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=grant-chachere