Brett Davis-Imagn Images
By Rivers Hughey
The New Orleans Saints may have walked away with one of the steals of this year’s NFL Draft by selecting Georgia tight end Oscar Delp in the third round.
The 6-foot-5, 245 pound tight end is a standout athlete that can help the Saints immediately in the run game as a blocker. But he has some underrated abilities that haven’t yet been tapped into that he’s excited to let loose in the New Orleans offense.
“I’m a dude that can do everything,” Delp said after being drafted. “That’s why I’m so excited to play here. Whether it’s special teams, anywhere on offense, I’m a dude that can bring anything to the table and I think I’ve shown that over the past couple years.”
While his stats at Georgia may have been limited as a pass-catcher, it’s clear that he has a lot of untapped potential in the area. He averaged better than 13 yards per reception last season and showed some impressive ability in the yards after catch area.
Delp ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, which helped to showcase his athleticism. His 38-inch vertical and 10-foot-5 broad jump put his explosiveness on display.
Those are more than certainly traits that head coach Kellen Moore can find a way to highlight in his offense.
“He’s a multi-spot guy,” Moore said after Day 2 of the draft. “He’s played a lot of different positions in his career (at Georgia). He’s played with some other tight ends and he knows how to play that multi-tight end type role.”
Moore also alluded to the idea that the Saints were considering taking Delp in the second round where they instead drafted his collegiate teammate and defensive tackle Christen Miller. When Delp was still on the board in the third, it was an easy decision.
Delp joins a tight end room led by veterans Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant with a chance to complement the two as a true-Y, versatile chesspiece on offense.
