METAIRIE, La. -- Drew Brees made a triumphant return from his shoulder injury last week, but now the New Orleans Saints quarterback will be counting on a rookie to protect his blind side.
Saints first-round draft pick Andrus Peat will make his starting debut at left tackle Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles in place of injured Terron Armstead.
Armstead missed practice all week with an unspecified knee injury. The absence will be a big blow for the Saints, since Armstead has emerged over the past two years as one of their best players.
Peat, meanwhile, remains an unknown commodity.
The 6-foot-7, 316-pounder was a second-team All-American at Stanford and the 13th pick in this year's draft. But he went through some growing pains throughout training camp and the preseason.
He has played 27 snaps this season, mostly as an extra tight end in jumbo packages. Peat played five snaps at left tackle when Armstead was temporarily sidelined during last week's 26-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
But now he will get his real welcome-to-the-NFL experience in Philadelphia.
Peat and coach Sean Payton insist he has made steady progress in practice and games.
"I think his confidence is good. I mean, shoot, he's a first-round pick at left tackle, and I think he's prepared and he'll be ready to go," Payton said. "You know, at some point, they go. At some point, the rookie kicker kicks or the young receivers go. Terron Armstead a few years ago in Carolina [made his starting debut in Week 16 as a rookie]."
Peat said he feels "great," both with his improved conditioning and the experience he has gained over the past month.
"It's my first start at left tackle, so it's pretty exciting," said Peat, who said veteran guard Jahri Evans gave him advice on doing extra conditioning work in the season.
Peat took all the snaps with the first string this week. He said his heavy preseason workload -- when he played right tackle, left tackle and guard -- also helped get him up to speed.
"The older guys do a great job communicating with me and helping me out, so I feel real comfortable in there with those guys," said Peat, who said he didn't pay much attention to any outside criticism he received during the preseason. "I just try to get better, take coaching and do what they'd have me do."
Evans, meanwhile, is listed as questionable for Sunday's game after returning to practice on a limited basis all week. Evans missed the past two games following arthroscopic knee surgery.
Saints punter Thomas Morstead was ruled out with a quadriceps injury. The Saints signed former Miami Dolphins Pro Bowler Brandon Fields as a replacement earlier this week.