Adam Trautman

The Saints picked Trautman at No. 105 overall in the 2020 draft, overlooking a disappointing 40 time (4.80) on the heels of a highly productive college career (2,295 yards, 31 TDs) at FCS Dayton. The small-school product then worked behind Jared Cook most of his rookie season, logging 393 offensive snaps and 139 routes run in 16 games. Although he was targeted on only 11.5 percent of those routes, Trautman did catch 15 of the 16 passes and averaged 7.8 YAC. With Cook now off to Los Angeles and replaced by only Nick Vannett (75 receptions in 70 NFL games), there's a clear opportunity for Trautman to emerge as the Saints' top tight end, which in turn could make him the third or fourth option in the passing game. Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara will obviously be the priorities, but there's nobody else on the roster who clearly commands targets, and Thomas is expected to miss the early part of the season. Unfortunately, Trautman's status for Week 1 has also come into question, after he suffered a foot injury in the second game of the preseason. He'd also been losing some work to converted wideout Juwan Johnson before the injury, perhaps hinting at a committee approach to tight end in New Orleans.

The tight end position in New Orleans has largely been a patchwork affair since Jimmy Graham left town, but stability at the position could soon come in the form of third-round rookie Trautman. A big-bodied and athletic option in the receiving game, Trautman played four seasons at Dayton and earned Pioneer League Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2019 thanks to a 70-916-14 receiving line. He may not see much playing time in his first year, but with Josh Hill a minimal contributor on offense and the aging Jared Cook in the final year of his contract, Trautman is poised for a starting role sooner rather than later.