Juwan Johnson excited about tight end room’s potential

By Ross Jackson

The New Orleans Saints’ busy offseason included a lot of work on their tight end room. With the free agency signing of veteran Noah Fant and the drafting of rookie Oscar Delp, the position group is set to take on a whole new look in 2026.

At the top of the room, however, remains veteran starter Juwan Johnson. The converted wideout remembers the Saints’ pursuit of Fant last year and shared his excitement for the team’s additions while at the Saints’ Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic.

“I think he should have just came the first time,” he said, jokingly. “I don’t know why he went to Cincinnati and wanted to hang out with Joe Burrow, but you know it all works out, and I’m glad he’s here. He’s been great. I think we needed an older guy, another older guy in the room, to kind of make it more comfortable. Guys can learn. I think it’s been really good for Oscar (Delp). He’s been coming and asking a lot of questions.”

Along with the addition of Fant, the Saints’ selection of Delp, the former Georgia Bulldogs tight end, has generated a lot of excitement as well.

That excitement was reflected by Johnson, who sees the upside in Delp’s game and how it adds to the playmaking of the group.

“Oscar is explosive too,” said Johnson. “He’s a 4.4 guy, if I’m not mistaken. He’s fast. He’s got a lot of attributes that everybody should be excited about. We got a nice tight end room. I will say that.”

Johnson is coming off of a career year last season and is likely to remain atop the room’s rotation throughout the 2026 season. But with the growing popularity of two-tight end (such as 12 personnel) and three-tight end (13 personnel, for example) packages across the league, the Saints are set to be at the forefront of the shift.