Michael Heldman has already won over plenty of New Orleans Saints fans, but affection alone is not going to carry him onto the 53-man roster.
The undrafted free agent out of the Saints’ class has generated real buzz, and Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport even pegged Heldman as the UDFA with the best shot to make the team. That said, the path in front of him is crowded, and the edge rusher room in New Orleans is shaping up to be one of the hardest places for an undrafted player to break through.
Heldman does have one eye-catching calling card: 10.5 sacks in his senior season. That kind of production gives him a case worth watching, and it explains why the hype around him has taken off so quickly. Still, the most realistic landing spot may be the practice squad, not the active roster.
The problem for Heldman is less about talent than opportunity. He would need to climb past Fadil Diggs and Chris Rumph before even getting to the group of players most likely to secure roster spots. That’s a steep climb, especially with the Saints likely already having their edge rotation mapped out.
The expectation is that New Orleans keeps five edge rushers. Chase Young, Cam Jordan and Carl Granderson are locks heading into training camp, which leaves only two openings. And those spots may already be spoken for by two offseason additions.
The Saints traded for Tyree Wilson during the draft, sending a fifth-round pick and a seventh-rounder the other way, with the hope that Brandon Staley can help him move closer to the ceiling that made him a top-10 pick. New Orleans also signed Anfernee Jennings after the draft, adding a veteran who is widely regarded as one of the league’s better run-stopping edge defenders.
That matters because the Saints were shaky against the run a year ago, and Jennings fills a clear need even if he won’t draw the same attention as some of the bigger names in the room. Wilson brings upside.
Jennings brings a specific skill the Saints badly lacked. Together, they make the back end of the edge group look awfully crowded.
So while Heldman has already become a fan favorite and has enough production to make people take notice, the reality is still harsh. He’s fighting for one of the toughest jobs on the roster, and unless camp breaks perfectly his way, the practice squad looks like the likeliest outcome.
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