After missing the postseason for the second year in a row, the New Orleans Saints decided to hit the reset button. Derek Carr was brought in as the Saints new starting quarterback as New Orleans looks to turn things around.

While they went 7-10 last season, the Saints aren't too far off from playoff contention. The current NFC South seems to be up for grabs after Tom Brady's retirement. New Orleans has arguably the best defense in the league as they ranked fifth last season, allowing 314.8 yards per game.

Carr should be able to help revitalize the offense. While his tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders flamed out, he still leads their franchise in passing yards (35,222) and passing touchdowns (217). The Saints are counting on Carr as their new leader and their ticket to the postseason.

Still, if the Saints want to be truly successful, they'll need some of their more unheralded players to stay up. These three have the likeliest chance for a breakout in the Bayou.

Juwan Johnson

Juwan Johnson may very well open the season as the Saints starting tight end. However, he hasn't gotten the same amount of buzz as the fellow TEs on New Orleans' roster.

The former undrafted free agent burst on the scene in his third year with the Saints last season. Johnson set new career-highs in receptions (42), yards (508) and touchdowns (7). In terms of New Orleans receiving targets, Johnson led the team in receiving touchdowns, finished second in yards and third in receptions.

Still, the Saints went out and signed free agent Foster Moreau this offseason. While Taysom Hill moves around the field, his designated position is tight end. While Johnson has the stats to back up his success, Hill and Moreau have been getting more hype.

With Carr now at quarterback, the offense is poised to look plenty different. But Johnson should once again emerge as the Saints best option at tight end.

AT Perry

At wide receiver, New Orleans already has the impressive Chris Olave alongside the returning Michael Thomas. However, the Saints want to ensure Carr has numerous playmakers at his disposal. Rookie AT Perry should be able to carve out a role for himself with the Saints.

Perry was drafted by New Orleans in the sixth-round of this year's draft. As a late round pick, he'll truly need to prove himself to earn a roster spot let alone have a breakout season. But if/when Perry makes the roster, the WR has all the tools to succeed.

In his four years at Wake Forest, Perry caught 171 passes for 2,662 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had at least 1,000 yards receiving and 10+ TDs in his final two seasons. His work earned Perry two total First-team All-ACC nominations.

Olave and – assuming he is healthy – Thomas will lead the Saints wide receiver room. But as New Orleans looks for a third option, Perry looms as a sneaky candidate.

Khalen Saunders

The only defender on this list, defensive lineman Khalen Saunders comes to the Saints after beginning his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. New Orleans is hoping some of Saunders' Super Bowl shine rubs off on the team upon his arrival.

Saunders was originally third-round pick by the Chiefs back in 2019. Coming from Western Illinois, Saunders had to elevate his game to the NFL level. That growth didn't come until last season. However, when given a 16 game opportunity, Saunders racked up career-highs in tackles (48), quarterback hits (8) and sacks (3.5).

Alongside their overall strong defense, the Saints were one of the best teams at getting to the quarterback last season. Their 48 overall sacks were fifth-most in the NFL. With an even bigger role, the Saints are hoping Saunders' sack numbers only improve.

As the Saints look to continue their strong defensive play, Saunders provides New Orleans with a Super Bowl winning reinforcement.