The Saints announced that they have agreed to terms with 15 undrafted free agent on Sunday.
Among the players that are heading to New Orleans is tight end Dallin Holker. Holker transferred from BYU to Colorado State and turned in 64 catches for 767 yards and six touchdowns during the 2023 season. That was good enough to make Holker a second-team All-American, but not enough to convince a team to draft him.
The Saints also stayed local by snagging former Tulane center Sincere Haynesworth.
Oklahoma State defensive end Nathan Latu, TCU safety Millard Bradford, Idaho wide receiver Jermaine Jackson, Minnesota defensive tackle Kyler Baugh, Vanderbilt punter Matthew Hayball, Yale wide receiver Mason Tipton, Slippery Rock wide receiver Kyle Sheets, Boston College guard Kyle Hergel, Pittsburgh State cornerback Rico Payton, South Dakota State linebacker Isaiah Stalbird, SE Missouri St defensive back Lawrence Johnson, LA Lafayette running back Jacob Kibodi, and Nebraska guard Nouri Nouili round out the group.
Before the draft, Caleb Williams pushed back against suggestions that he never faced adversity in his college career. But one quarterback in this year’s draft who definitely faced adversity is Saints fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler — whose adversity included getting benched in favor of Williams while the two were at Oklahoma.
Williams transferred to South Carolina after he was benched at Oklahoma, and after the Saints drafted him he said he thinks he came out of that challenge stronger.
“I think it helps me coming into this level, being able to experience a little adversity early on in my college career, I think that helps,” Rattler said. “As a quarterback at this level, you’re going to experience adversity if you want it or not. So I think having success, having adversity, that helps shape you as a player and person. I wouldn’t change a thing about college. I’m ready for the next step. I know I’m prepared.”
Rattler had to wait a long time to hear his name selected in this draft, going 150th overall after seeing six quarterbacks drafted in the first 12 picks. He’ll attempt to show that he can shake that off and perform in the NFL, just as he performed at South Carolina after shaking off his adversity at Oklahoma.
At long last, another quarterback has come off the board in this year’s draft.
The Saints have selected Spencer Rattler out of South Carolina with the No. 150 pick in the fifth round.
Rattler is the first QB to be picked since Denver drafted Bo Nix at No. 12 overall. The 137 selections between quarterbacks are a new NFL Draft record.
Rattler, 23, began his college career at Oklahoma before transferring to South Carolina in 2022. Once thought of as a potential first-round pick, Rattler’s stock began to fall in 2021 when he was benched for Caleb Williams.
He started 25 games for South Carolina over the last two seasons. In 2023, he completed 68.9 percent of his passes for 3,186 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 104 yards with four TDs.
Rattler will join a QB room led by Derek Carr that also includes Nathan Peterman, Kellen Mond, Jake Haener, and Taysom Hill.
The Saints got one of the top cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL draft early in the second round.
With the 41st overall pick, New Orleans selected Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
McKinstry was a first-team All-American in 2023 and a two-time first-team All-SEC selection.
The Saints traded up with the Packers to No. 41 to get McKinstry. Some thought the Packers would stay put and take McKinstry themselves, but instead he’ll head to New Orleans, where he’s expected to start as a rookie.
The run on offensive players continues.
The Saints made it 14-for-14 with offensive players every selection thus far, an NFL record. New Orleans used the 14th overall pick on Oregon State offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga.
The pick is not a surprise.
The Saints listened to trade offers, but their offensive line badly needed help and three offensive linemen already were off the board.
Offensive tackles Trevor Penning and Ryan Ramczyk have injury questions, and left guard James Hurst recently retired. Penning, a first-round pick in 2022, has not performed as expected yet, which necessitated the selection of Fuaga.
The Saints have eight picks remaining, including No. 45 overall.