Saints select Georgia TE Oscar Delp in third round

By Ross Jackson

METAIRIE, La. – The New Orleans Saints selected Georgia tight end Oscar Delp in the third round at No. 73 overall.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end was underutilized as a pass-catcher in the Bulldogs offense and has a much higher ceiling to reach in that area of his game. However, the system did allow him to develop further as a blocker, lessening the leap he’ll need to make in that department as he enters the pros.

Delp caught 20 passes for 261 receiving yards and a touchdown last year, averaging 13.1 yards per catch. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash at his pro day while also charting a 38-inch vertical and 10-foot-5 broad jump.

He’s a player with a ton of flashes to lean in on and is well worth the investment because of what he can quickly develop into with head coach Kellen Moore scheming him up. He joins a tight end room led by Juwan Johnson, who had a career year last year, and recently signed Noah Fant.

Delp is now the highest drafted Saints tight end since Cam Cleeland was selected No. 40 overall in 1998.

The Saints are expected to be done for Day 2 of the NFL Draft, returning to the podium for their next pick at No. 132 overall in the fourth round. However, the team is rumored to have been interested in trading up both days of the draft so far. With several talented players still available, the team could look to move up before their next selection is scheduled.