A major addition to the offense.
The New Orleans Saints had another successful day in the draft. For the Saints, day 2 was filled with Georgia Bulldogs, and after addressing the defense in round 2, New Orleans went with an exciting weapon in round 3. Oscar Delp ended up being the selection at pick 73, and although TE may not have been a major need going into the draft, it could be a game-changing addition for Kellen Moore's offense.
As a player, Delp is a very athletic TE that can make massive plays happen in the air and after the catch. What stands out about his game is his dominate ability to block, and it could make him get on the field for the Saints quickly.
This selection by New Orleans was very interesting in regard to the roster. Going into the draft, Juwan Johnson was the clear TE1 on the roster, and after the successful season he just had, it makes sense why. Johnson was third in recieving yards among all TEs last season and became one of Tyler Shough's favorite targets. The issue with his game was the blocking and the mistakes, and at times, they were glaring. TE was a need going into the offseason, but the addition of Noah Fant in free agency really helped to fix that. Fant is not going to be a TE1, but he is a great depth option, and in Moore's offense, all TEs are going to get on the field at some point. Similar to Johnson, Fant's blocking is not the best, but that's where Delp comes into play.
Right away, Delp should be TE2 on the Saints. His fit with Johnson will be excellent, and while the veteran can be the receiving threat, Delp can come in and be one of the best non offensive line blockers on the field. His recieving threat also makes him a really dynamic option that can catch the opposing defenses by surprise. Delp will be able to get a bunch of snaps throughout the season, and he should be the future starting TE for the Saints.
Johnson's contract will be up in 2028, and although that is pretty far away, investing in the future before it becomes an issue is smart. Delp also allows the Saints to move on from Johnson if they feel like the young TE can take over right away.
The Saints made a really smart decision by selecting Delp in the 2026 NFL Draft.