Michael Heldman instantly became one of the fan favorites among the New Orleans Saints undrafted free agent class, but being a fan favorite isn't enough to land him on the 53 man roster. The way the Saints edge room is set up makes the UDFA to 53 man roster journey even tougher, but that hasn't slowed down the hype train at all.
Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport believes Heldman is the UDFA with the best odds of making the roster. I may have went with Xzavian Harris, simply due to path, However, Heldman's 10.5 sacks his senior season make for a compelling case.
It certainly feels as if a spot on the practice squad is likely for Heldman. He still has to pass players like Fadil Diggs and Chris Rumph to pass before getting to the players who are most likely to make the roster. It isn't a talent thing for Heldman; it's about the opportunity.
Saints edge rusher room is likely already set
Heldman could have a fantastic camp, but it's going to be hard to sneak onto the 53 man roster at that position. Similarly to wide receiver, the Saints have enough talented edge rushers to fill out their roster and still have talented players on the outside looking in. Heldman has an uphill battle in front of him to escape the latter category.
The Saints keeping five edge rushers should be the expectation. We all know Chase Young, Cam Jordan and Carl Granderson are making the roster. They're flat out locks going into training camp, so that leaves two spots open.
The Saints also made two notable acquisitions this offseason that should complete the room. The Saints traded for Tyree Wilson during the draft and signed free agent veteran Anfernee Jennings after the draft. Neither pickup is a high investment, but it's not the investment Heldman is fighting against.
Wilson is an upside acquisition. New Orleans traded away a fifth round pick for Wilson and a seventh rounder, and the thought was Brandon Staley could help him get closer to the ceiling that led to him getting drafted in the top 10.
Jennings is one of the best run stopping edge defenders in the league. The Saints struggled to stop the run a year ago. He isn't going to steal many headlines, but Jennings is an impactful signing.
The backend of the edge rusher room is manned by a reclaimation project with a first round ceiling and a defender that's standout trait is a place the Saints severely lacked. It's going to be a tough sell for Heldman, though it isn't impossible.
Add us as a preferred source on Google