New Orleans Saints Place 1st-Round Pick on Injured Reserve

The New Orleans Saints will be short a key young player for the first month of the season. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the team placed offensive tackle Trevor Penning on injured reserve:

Saints officially placed first-round pick, OT Trevor Penning, on injured reserve, assuring that he’ll miss a minimum of four games, though it’s expected to be significantly more.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2022

Penning suffered a turf toe injury during the team's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams. Early signs indicate the team does not expect Penning to be ready immediately following the minimum four-game absence.

Drafted 19th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, Penning is a towering, powerful prospect out of Nothern Iowa. The Saints likely hoped he might take over for departed free agent Terron Armstead, who signed with the Miami Dolphins this offseason for a five-year, $75 million contract. Armstead, a dominant player when healthy, has made the Pro Bowl in three of his past four years, but injuries have kept him from playing a single full season in his nine-year career. Perenially cap-strapped, the Saints elected to let him go in the hopes they might find a cheaper, more reliable replacement. Unfortunately, Penning isn't off to a good start in that respect.

With Penning sidelined indefinitely, starting left tackle duties likely belong to veteran James Hurst, who started 15 games for the Saints last year and managed a 69.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.