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Tight End Prospects for New Orleans Saints

Every team needs to make improvements. The New Orleans Saints biggest need is a tight end, and there are plenty of prospects the Saints should look at.
Saints tight end prospects

The New Orleans Saints offense was one of the most dynamic offenses in the National Football League last season despite not having a true number two wide receiver and downfield threat at tight end. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees is entering what could be his final season. Brees can no longer carry the Saints throwing for over 5,000 yards and over 40 touchdowns. Those days are finished. It is time to put requisite weapons around an aging Brees. The Saints have not had a dynamic downfield threat at tight end since Jimmy Graham. Here is a look at the Saints tight end prospects.

New Orleans Saints Tight End Prospects

Free Agents

Former Oakland Raiders tight end Jared Cook is at the top of the list. Cook is coming off his best statistical season in his 10-year career, catching 68 passes for 896 yards and six touchdowns, all career highs. While Cook may not be as explosive as Travis Kelce or Eric Ebron, Cook can still create mismatches when being guarded by linebackers or safeties. Durability is another thing Cook brings. Jared Cook has only missed 11 of a possible 160 games, which is staggering. The Saints are already been linked to Cook in terms of contract talk, so it should be interesting to see if they can seal the deal.

Maxx Williams is another viable option for the Saints. Williams was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2015 draft, and had his best season his rookie year, with 32 catches for 268 yards and one touchdown in 14 games. A knee injury caused Williams to miss most of the 2016 season, and has not played up to his potential yet. For the Saints, Williams is a solid blocking tight end, not explosive, but a better receiving option than Josh Hill or Dan Arnold.

NFL Draft

One of the highest rated tight ends on most draft boards is University of Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. Smith is a first round talent and is unlikely to be around by the Saints second-round pick. Smith broke out on the scene his sophomore year at Alabama, catching 44 passes for 710 yards and seven touchdowns. The talent in his family runs deep. Smith’s father, Irv Smith Sr., played for the Saints from 1993-1997, accumulating 1300 receiving yards, 134 receptions, and nine touchdowns. It would certainly be a nice reunion for Smith, Jr. to get drafted by the Saints as well. However, the Saints would need to trade up to the first round to have a shot at Irv Smith Jr.

Jace Sternberger is an under the radar name the Saints should keep an eye on. The 6’4″ tight end who ran a 4.75 in the 40-yard dash put up some gaudy numbers for Texas A&M. Last season, Sternberger put together 48 receptions, 832 yards, and 10 touchdowns, matching Irv Smith’s touchdown totals in his Alabama career. Sternberger is a matchup problem, especially in the redzone. Michael Thomas needs some attention off of him, especially in the redzone. Most experts are expecting Sternberger to go in the third or fourth round.

AAF

Not much gets said about the tight end position in the Alliance of American Football. The AAF has been dubbed the developmental league, so why not start pulling players from the Alliance? The one name that stands out is Salt Lake Stallions tight end Nick Truesdell. On the season so far, Truesdell has been one of the lone bright spots to a struggling 2-4 Stallions team. Truesdell has 18 catches for 181 yards and three touchdowns. He ranks top two in all three of those categories for tight ends. Truesdell has shown an ability to make defenders miss in the open field and get loose, and would be a solid acquisition to the Saints tight end room. Let’s not forget to mention he stands at six feet five inches tall.

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