The New Orleans Saints have always had a weird relationship with the tight end position. It's never just about blocking or catching. If you look at the Saints TE depth chart right now, you aren't just looking at a list of names; you're looking at a puzzle that Klint Kubiak has to solve. Some teams want a guy who can just sit in the dirt and move a defensive end. New Orleans? They want chameleons.
Juwan Johnson. Taysom Hill. Foster Moreau.
On paper, that's the trio. But calling Taysom Hill a "tight end" feels like calling a Swiss Army knife a "spoon" just because it happens to have one. It’s technically true sometimes, but it misses the entire point of why he’s on the field.
The reality of the Saints TE depth chart is that it’s built on redundancy and specific utility. If Juwan Johnson isn't 100%, the vertical threat vanishes. If Moreau is out, the traditional "Y" blocking role crumbles. It’s a delicate balance that relies on guys staying healthy, which, as Saints fans know, is a big "if."
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Who Actually Leads the Saints TE Depth Chart?
Most people assume the starter is whoever gets their name called during the Sunday Night Football introductions. In the modern NFL, that’s a bit of a myth.
Juwan Johnson is the "lead" in terms of receiving upside. You have to remember he started as a wide receiver at Penn State and Oregon. He’s got that smooth, gliding gait that makes linebackers look like they're running in sand. When he’s healthy, he is the focal point of the passing game over the middle. But health has been a nagging issue. Foot surgery, hamstring tweaks—it adds up.
Then there’s Foster Moreau. He’s the glue. Honestly, without Moreau, the run game loses its edge. He’s the guy who does the dirty work that allows Alvin Kamara to bounce runs outside. He’s a survivor, literally and figuratively, and his chemistry with Derek Carr goes back to their Raiders days. It's a comfort thing for the QB. If Carr gets rattled, he looks for the guy he knows will be exactly 7.2 yards deep on a stick route. That’s Moreau.
The Taysom Hill Variable
You can't talk about the Saints TE depth chart without addressing the human cheat code. Taysom is listed as a TE. He meetings with the TEs. He wears 7. But we’ve seen him take snaps at fullback, tailback, slot receiver, and power-I quarterback.
When Taysom is "on" as a tight end, he’s a nightmare for defensive coordinators because you can't substitute against him. If the Saints come out in 12 personnel (one RB, two TEs) and Taysom is one of those TEs, the defense brings out their heavy hitters. Then, Taysom shifts to QB, and suddenly those big, slow linebackers are trying to chase a guy who runs a 4.4 forty. It’s unfair. But it also means his "depth chart" spot is fluid. He’s the starter and the backup for everyone simultaneously.
Breaking Down the Depth: Beyond the Top Three
Behind the big names, things get a bit more experimental. The Saints have a habit of stashing "projects."
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Dallin Holker is a name that caught a lot of eyes during the offseason. An undrafted free agent out of Colorado State who basically played like a seasoned pro in camp. He’s not the biggest guy, and he’s certainly not the fastest, but he has "sticky" hands. You know the type. The ball just seems to find him. In a world where Juwan Johnson is sidelined, Holker becomes the primary beneficiary of those targets.
Then you have the developmental grinders like Michael Jacobson. He’s a former basketball player—a trend the Saints have loved since the Jimmy Graham era. It hasn't quite clicked into a Pro Bowl trajectory yet, but the frame is there. Coaches love frames. You can't teach someone to be 6'7".
- Juwan Johnson: The "F" move tight end.
- Foster Moreau: The traditional "Y" blocker and safety valve.
- Taysom Hill: The "X" factor/Wildcat threat.
- Dallin Holker: The sleeper rookie with elite ball skills.
The depth is actually better than many national analysts give New Orleans credit for. They aren't top-heavy like the Chiefs with Kelce, but they have four guys who can legitimately play 20 snaps a game without the offense falling off a cliff.
The Klint Kubiak Impact on Tight End Usage
The arrival of Klint Kubiak changed the math for the Saints TE depth chart. The Shanahan-style system, which Kubiak brings, loves tight ends. But it loves them as blockers first.
Think about George Kittle in San Francisco. He’s a superstar receiver, sure, but he takes more pride in pancaking a defensive end. Kubiak wants that same mentality in New Orleans. This puts a lot of pressure on Juwan Johnson to improve his inline blocking. If he can't hold the edge on a wide zone run, he’s going to see his snaps go to Moreau or even a guy like Holker who is willing to stick his nose in there.
The Saints are moving away from the static, "wait for the play to develop" offense of the late Pete Carmichael era. They want motion. They want the tight end starting in the slot, moving to the wing, and then lead-blocking for a sweep. This requires a high football IQ. You can't just be an athlete anymore.
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What Most People Get Wrong About This Group
There’s this narrative that the Saints tight ends are underperforming. People look at the fantasy stats and see a lack of 100-yard games.
That's a trap.
In this offense, the tight ends are often used as decoys to clear out the intermediate level for Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed. When Johnson streaks down the seam, he’s pulling the safety with him. That opens up the dig route underneath. Success for this Saints TE depth chart isn't always measured in catches; it’s measured in "gravity." How much attention do they command from the defense?
Also, we have to talk about the red zone. The Saints have struggled there for years. The tight ends are supposed to be the "fix." When the field shrinks, you need big bodies. This is where Taysom Hill usually takes over, but the team desperately needs Moreau and Johnson to become more consistent "box out" targets. If they can't do that, the depth chart will likely see a veteran addition or a high draft pick sooner rather than later.
Future Outlook and Strategy
Looking ahead, the Saints TE depth chart is in a transition phase. Johnson and Moreau are veterans now. They aren't "prospects" anymore. The team needs to decide if this group is good enough to win a division or if they are just placeholders.
The salary cap is always a looming shadow in New Orleans. They can't afford to pay top-tier money to three different tight ends. This makes the development of cheap, young talent like Holker absolutely vital. If Holker can provide 80% of what Johnson does at 10% of the cost, the front office has a very easy decision to make in the next off-season.
Actionable Takeaways for Following the Saints Tight Ends:
- Watch the personnel packages: If the Saints are in 12 personnel (2 TEs) more than 30% of the time, they are finding success in the run game. If they drop to 11 personnel, it means they don't trust the TE blocking.
- Monitor the injury report for Juwan Johnson: His presence changes how defenses play the Saints. Without him, the offense becomes much more horizontal and predictable.
- Track Taysom Hill’s "TE" snaps vs "QB" snaps: If he's playing more traditional TE, it usually means the team is trying to establish a physical identity.
- Keep an eye on Dallin Holker’s snap count: A jump in his playing time usually signals that a change in the veteran hierarchy is coming.
The Saints TE depth chart is a fascinating microcosm of the team as a whole: versatile, slightly aging, full of potential, and entirely dependent on staying healthy enough to execute a complex scheme. Keep your eyes on the "Y" position during the first fifteen plays of any game; it tells you exactly what the coaching staff thinks they can get away with that week.