With the way the New Orleans Saints structured training camp, defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said no group on the defense received more reps than the unit’s rookies.

The Saints, after all, used five of their nine draft picks on Staley’s side of the ball. And even though none of those players started in last weekend’s season-opener, the goal of the heavy workload in camp was to get them up to speed in case they were suddenly forced to play.

Jonas Sanker is the first test case to see if the approach pays off.

“We’re not afraid of playing young guys,” Staley said. “I know he’ll maximize his opportunity.”

Sanker, a third-round pick out of Virginia, will get an opportunity to start at safety Sunday after veteran Julian Blackmon suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in last weeke

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