METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints started four rookies in Week 1 -- a good sign for their 2017 draft class, but also a reminder of why they might be experiencing some growing pains early in the year.

First-round picks Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk started at cornerback and left tackle (partly due to injuries to veterans Delvin Breaux and Terron Armstead -- though Lattimore likely would have earned a starting gig regardless).

Second-rounder Marcus Williams earned a starting job over Vonn Bell as the preseason went on. And third-rounder Alex Anzalone won the starting weakside linebacker job over veteran Craig Robertson, among others.

Plus, third-round pick Alvin Kamara played a substantial role off the bench, actually leading the Saints’ running backs in snaps ahead of Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson because he was on the field so much as a receiver while they were in catch-up mode late in the 29-19 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

“Overall I was fairly pleased with the young players,” said Saints coach Sean Payton, who said they chose the “guys we feel like give us the best chance to win.”

The Saints’ four rookie starters were even more than Payton’s first year in 2006, when the Saints had that stellar ’06 draft class and started receiver Marques Colston, guard Jahri Evans and safety Roman Harper in Week 1. Running back Reggie Bush also played a substantial role for that team early.

In fact, it was the most rookie starters for the Saints in Week 1 since 2002, according to ESPN Stats & Information (that year they started four of their draft picks -- WR Donte' Stallworth, DE Charles Grant, C LeCharles Bentley and CB Keyuo Craver).

The Saints also started four rookies in a game once last year (including guard Landon Turner as an extra blocker in a jumbo package). And they started five rookies in Week 14 of the 2015 season (Andrus Peat, Stephone Anthony, Hau'oli Kikaha, Tyeler Davison and Bobby Richardson -- plus first-year CFL transfer Delvin Breaux).

The Saints had six new starters on defense overall Monday -- seven, if you count cornerback P.J. Williams, who also started the first two games of last season before suffering a season-ending concussion.

“Part of it’s trying to put the players in the best position possible to have success,” Payton said. “Now, are they doing what they’re being asked? Do they know what to do? These are a few of the things we’ve gotta evaluate these players on.

“But clearly, with the way we had played in the past, that (performance) wasn’t good enough. That wouldn’t be very smart. And that’s still ongoing, this tape isn’t a good tape for them to watch coming in this morning.”

Ramczyk, who allowed one sack in his debut and got beat for another one that was overturned because pass rusher Everson Griffen was offsides on the play, said he thought he played “alright.”

“We watched the film today and (there are) definitely some things to improve on. So we’ll keep working this week to get better,” said Ramczyk, who was asked if he had a “welcome to the NFL moment.”

“I don’t know if there was one specific moment, but it was fun out there. I had fun,” Ramczyk said. “Like I said, still a lot of things to work on, but I did feel a little bit better than I did in the preseason.”