By Ross Jackson
The New Orleans Saints focused heavily on their tight end room this offseason, adding free agent veteran Noah Fant and drafting exciting rookie Oscar Delp to add to the early rotation with returning impact player Juwan Johnson.
That leaves little room in the active roster for last year’s reserves to work their way up. One player that could see his drifting opportunity as motivation is last year’s seventh-round selection out of UCLA, tight end Moliki Matavao.
Appreciated by the coaching staff for his dedication to the dirty work, attention to detail and work ethic, Matavao entered the league with a unique blend of proven blocker and receiving threat.
He spent the majority of his rookie season on the practice squad, but did see some game exposure early and late in the season.
In 2025, the tight end appeared in six games: Weeks 1, 2 and 4 early in the year and the final three games of the season.
During his appearances he reeled in a pair of passes for 10 total receiving yards and took 36 snaps on special teams.
Matavao would like to ideally see his role grow in 2026, but with Fant and Delp now added to the roster, chances of being active on game days may come down to health ahead of him at the position. That’s not a favorable vantage point for a young and talented player.
He will also have competition for the practice squad spots with fellow incumbent tight ends Treyton Welch and Zaire Mitchell-Paden still in the mix.
Last season, we estimated that Matavao would have the toughest path to the roster. This year, the road is even more challenging.
More New Orleans Saints
