Saints Show Promising Young Future in Preseason

Drew Brees is 38 years old and has played in the league since 2001.

Adrian Peterson is 32 and been in the league since 2007.

Even Mark Ingram is 27 and been in the league since 2011.

But while the Saints are getting older in some positions, they have a young core on both sides of the ball. Michael Thomas, Willie Snead, Marshon Lattimore, Sheldon Rankins, Terron Armstead, and others. And finally, that young core is showing signs of a bright future for the Saints. When Bleacher Report compiled their most recent Power Rankings, it was this young core that helped bring the Saints up two spots to #19 overall, RB Alvin Kamara in particular:

Take my word for it: Alvin Kamara is the best running back on the New Orleans Saints. I'm saying it now, and everyone is going to believe it by the end of the season. For my money, Kamara was a better prospect than Joe Mixon. He's physical, strong, quick and catches the ball well out of the backfield.

The Saints defense as a whole got some love.

I think the Saints secondary is going to be much improved, too. It's deep, young and talented. I love the way Marshon Lattimore looks. He didn't play much, but I think he's simply an elite player. It was a strong defensive showing for the Saints overall, and there's a lot to build on there.

The Saints are showing that life after Drew Brees might not be so bad after all.