Barion Brown Turns Heads at Saints Camp After 2026 Draft Pick

Q: With the kicking battle razor-thin, which clutch performer will ultimately survive camp to secure the starting job?

Charlie Smyth still looks like the slight favorite to win the Saints’ kicking job, though Tanner Brown has made it a true camp battle. The margin is extremely small. Smyth is 15-for-16 in camp, while Brown is 17-for-19 and handled Wednesday’s heavier workload by going 7-for-8, including makes from 52, 54 and a camp-best 56 yards. Brown’s case is obvious: he has the bigger recent résumé for pure long-range kicking, coming off a UFL season in which he was Special Teams Player of the Year and hit multiple 60-plus-yard kicks in the postseason. But Smyth has one advantage Brown does not: proven late-game NFL experience. Last season, after spending time on the practice squad, Smyth went 12-for-16 on field goals, hit 4-of-6 from 50-plus, and made a 47-yard walk-off winner against Carolina. He also opened his NFL career with a 56-yarder. For a Saints team that badly needs stability after finishing last in field-goal percentage in 2025, that real-game track record matters. Brown may have the stronger leg and perhaps the higher upside, but camp numbers alone have not created clear separation. Unless Brown decisively outkicks Smyth in preseason games and pressure situations, Smyth’s combination of slightly better camp accuracy and demonstrated NFL poise gives him the edge to survive camp as the starter.

3 articles · Updated · WBRZ · Aug 6

Full pads went on Monday, and Barion Brown stood out again as the Saints offense delivered arguably its best training-camp showing of the offseason.
Kellen Moore said Brown's energy, daily improvement and practice habits have impressed the staff, calling him a model for how to work.
Brown's early push comes as New Orleans sorts out its rookie receiver depth after Ja'Lynn Polk's unexpected retirement opened a possible role.
The Saints drafted Brown as their third receiver this year, alongside No. 8 pick Jordyn Tyson and No. 136 selection Bryce Lance.