Donovan Peoples-Jones is getting another NFL look, this time with the New Orleans Saints.
The veteran wide receiver is one of 16 tryout players invited to the Saints’ rookie minicamp at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, where New Orleans opened its 2026 rookie camp on May 7 with a full group of draft picks, undrafted free agents, Saints players and tryout players.
The Saints’ official camp roster lists 55 players in total.
He arrives with real NFL experience after being drafted by Cleveland in 2020, later moving to Detroit, and he is now back in front of a coaching staff looking for competition at receiver.
The Saints’ tryout list gives him a chance to show he can still add size and proven production to a receiver room that is still taking shape.
The Saints’ minicamp roster also shows why the tryout group matters.
New Orleans is bringing in a large mix of young players and camp bodies, and the tryout names give the staff another set of evaluations before the offseason gets deeper.
That makes the weekend more than a formality. For fringe players, rookie minicamp is the first real test of whether a team sees them as part of the next wave.
The full tryout group
Here is the Saints’ 16 player tryout list from rookie minicamp
- Hunter Dekkers — QB, Iowa Western
- Donovan Peoples-Jones — WR, Michigan
- Cameron Watts — DB, New Mexico
- Javaughn Byrd — DB, Northern Illinois
- Travis Martin — DB, Langston
- Eric Cumberbatch — DB, Ottawa
- Terrell Burgess — DB, Utah
- Logan Klusman — LS, Kansas
- Brendan Bell — LB, Villanova
- Joey Lombard — OL, South Dakota
- Leon Johnson III — WR, Oklahoma State
- Roderick Daniels Jr. — WR, SMU
- Holden Willis — WR, Middle Tennessee State
- Chris Carpenter — WR, UTSA
- Brandon Brown — DL, UTSA
- Patrick Jenkins — DL, Tulane
That list gives New Orleans a wide cross section of positions to evaluate.
There are quarterbacks, defensive backs, linebackers, offensive linemen, receivers and defensive linemen, which is exactly what a rookie minicamp tryout group is supposed to look like.
It is a chance to see who can handle the pace, who can process quickly and who fits a roster need before training camp gets closer.
The Saints’ official rookie minicamp roster also shows the rest of the structure around those tryout names.
New Orleans added eight drafted rookies, 10 undrafted free agents and a group of current Saints players to the camp mix, turning the weekend into a full evaluation period rather than a short showcase.
That makes Peoples-Jones and the other tryouts part of a much bigger offseason picture in New Orleans.
For Peoples-Jones, the timing is useful. Every spring tryout is another chance to remind teams that he can still do enough to earn a longer look.
For the Saints, it is a low-risk way to explore depth before the summer work really begins. If one of these 16 players stands out, this weekend could lead to something more than just another camp note.
Read More: Jacob Rich Kongaika turns three rookie minicamp invites into a real NFL opening
