Alvin Kamara News

As great as Kamara has been through his first two NFL seasons, it’s possible he’s only scratching the surface of his potential. His carries jumped by more than 60 percent last year without taking anything away from his role in the passing game, resulting in 18 total TDs. The Saints weren’t afraid to use him in short-yardage situations (his 16 carries inside the 5 tied for fifth in the league) and the decision to let Mark Ingram walk this offseason and replace him with Latavius Murray suggests Kamara’s role on the ground could expand further in 2019. The extra volume did result in lower efficiency, but the third-year back possesses top-shelf elusiveness and speed in the open field, and he consistently runs with toughness. Drew Brees’ knack for finding Kamara in space doesn’t hurt, either. Some time soon, New Orleans might have to reckon with a decline from its legendary QB, but Kamara will help cushion that blow when it eventually falls. If he joins the 300-touch club, he could take a run at 2,000 scrimmage yards.

A third-round pick out of Tennessee last year, Kamara joined the Saints with some uncertainty as to his eventual role. Unable to earn a full workload in college despite flashes of brilliance, he seemed stuck behind Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson on the depth chart, and there were concerns that the rookie wouldn’t be able to stand up to an NFL pounding. One year later, those concerns have all been washed away in the flood of highlight-reel plays Kamara produced. He led running backs in receiving yards and also led the league in percentage of carries that went for at least 15 yards, with 11 such runs on 120 totes (9.2 percent). His presence prevented defenses from keying on Ingram, and the duo became the first RB teammates in history to both top 1,500 scrimmage yards in a season. Kamara displays excellent speed and elusiveness, but it’s his change-of-direction skills and world-class acceleration that really set him apart. He can explode into and through even the smallest hole before it closes, and his ability to shift gears, change direction and rev back up in the open field routinely makes defenders look foolish. Ingram is suspended the first four games of the season, and while the Saints say they don’t want to increase Kamara’s workload too much, it’s hard not to get excited for the possibility of what he could do with an additional 5-8 touches per game.

The Saints have a history of utilizing speedy pass-catching backs in their offense, so when Kamara fell into the third round of this year’s draft, the New Orleans front office pounced, trading a second-round pick in 2018 to grab him. At 5-10, 215, Kamara has decent size, but it’s his top-end speed and explosiveness that set him apart, making him a threat to take the ball to the end zone any time he gets it in open space. He’s also a very good receiver and route runner. His vision is suspect, and he never got a chance to prove he can handle a full workload in college, but with Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson also in the Saints’ backfield, he won’t be asked to do anything outside of his comfort zone. Kamara’s touches as a rookie may be limited, but his per-play efficiency could be off the charts.