The New Orleans Saints have placed rookie safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. on the Injured Reserve list as he recovers from a calf injury. Styles was a fifth-round selection in this year’s NFL Draft and expected to serve in a large capacity for special teams work.

With Styles’ placement on IR, he will miss at least the first four games of the season meaning that the earliest he could return would be for New Orleans’ home game versus the Minnesota Vikings. Although Lorenzo was expected to play as a primary gunner role for the Saints, this injury adds another hit to an already thin defensive backfield.

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In three preseason games, Styles contributed six total tackles, four solo and two assisted, as well as one pass deflection. He was one of six safeties/defensive backs that New Orleans opted to keep on the initial 53-man roster following the final cutdown.

In a potentially related move, the New Orleans Saints claimed former Las Vegas Raiders’ DB Decamerion Richardson off of waivers on Tuesday.