One of the most promising undrafted free agents the New Orleans Saints have added following the 2026 NFL Draft is Central Michigan edge rusher Michael Heldman.
The 6-foot-3, 268 pound defensive end finished his college career with elite production, piling on 10.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for a loss in 2025 before entering the NFL Draft.
He also wowed at his pro day, putting up impressive athletic testing numbers.
Michael heldman is a DE prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.88 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 26 out of 2105 DE from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/1qrW1f0yGF pic.twitter.com/xMGqrOWXxb
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 22, 2026
Because of his level of play in college, he ended up falling out of the draft. But landing with New Orleans may have been the best-case scenario for the former Chippewas pass rusher.
He joins a team that’s seen an undrafted player at his same position, Carl Granderson, arrive from a Group of Five program (Wyoming) and earn multiple contracts as he endeavors upon his eighth season with New Orleans.
His journey from small school to pro is something that Heldman himself drew a comparison to during an exclusive interview with ESPN 104.5 Baton Rouge’s After Further Review with host Matt Moscona.
“Granderson, too.” he said while discussing his chance to learn from veteran Saints pass rushers. “A G5 school guy going in proving himself as a UDFA. There’s a lot to learn from that as well. So, like I just thought it was a great opportunity to go in and just learn from those guys. “
Granderson saw only eight games of action in his rookie season, on the exempt list for the first pair of games and in rotation for the appearances he did make, the end saw 24% of the defensive snaps in 2019 while playing nearly half of the special teams snaps. Heldman could see a similar workload should he make the active roster in 2026.
The journey, all in one place. Michael Heldman.
The five-year Chippewa will continue his legacy with New Orleans Saints.#FireUpChips | #Saints pic.twitter.com/pPiUOOPJ9H
— Central Michigan Football (@CMU_Football) April 26, 2026
Even if he doesn’t, carving out a spot on the practice squad would be a beneficial step toward realizing his NFL dream. It would allow him time to continue developing as he faces a transition to the pros that is considered more steep than coming from a Power Four program.
A perception that could be fruitful for the Saints.
New Orleans has long been a franchise that has hit big on undrafted talent. Heldman could be one of the next best options for the team in its 2026 class, following an achievable path to finding playing time and opportunity in his early NFL years.
