Tight end was a position of high priority for the New Orleans Saints for good reason entering free agency. The Saints had the fewest targets go to tight ends in the NFL last year (63) and saw their offense evolve into a more run-based attack that relegated the usually-versatile big bodies to blocking duty. It became clearer than ever that the house built by guys like Jimmy Graham, Jeremy Shockey, and Benjamin Watson was sitting empty.
Saints head coach Sean Payton admitted as such this week, explaining that tight end was one of several “musts” the team had to address ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft.