The New Orleans Saints 53-man roster is set, and now so is the practice squad.
The team announced 12 practice squad signings Monday afternoon, which for the third consecutive year includes a third spot for an international pathway program player. Two players who were expected to be candidates opted to sign elsewhere. Safety Terrell Burgess signed to the Titans' 53-man roster, while WR Bub Means opted to join the Browns' practice squad.
Head coach Kellen Moore also indicated that two players who had been waived, WR Kevin Austin Jr. and TE Treyton Welch, were candidates to return in the remaining slots. The Saints can sign as many as 17 practice squad players.
With all that in mind, scroll below for the list of players added to the Saints practice squad and some quick notes for each.
Brought to you by TRANESOUTH: It's hard to stop a Tranewww.audacy.com- K Charlie Smyth (IPP)
Notes: For the third consecutive season we'll see Smyth land on the practice squad, but this has to be the most disappointing for the Irish kicker. He went into camp with seemingly the inside track, but was far too inconsistent to be handed the job and had fallen behind Tanner Brown in the competition even before Daniel Carlson arrived. Still, the Saints waived Brown and are choosing to take advantage of the IPP spot for a third and final season. Smyth will likely have a chance to compete again next season, and it's not out of the question that he gets another shot down the line this year if Carlson doesn't work out as hoped.
- RB Zamir White
Notes: To me this was always the ideal outcome for the Saints, who traded Deion Jones for White in the final week of camp. He got a few practices in and saw significant run in the preseason finale, which included an 11-yard touchdown. White told me after the game that he was happy with how things went. It's highly unlikely the Saints would've been able to convince White to schlep across the country to join their practice squad if he wasn't already here, so I'm going to mark that trade down as a success. It is also a sign that there wasn't much outside interest in terms of a team adding White to their 53-man roster, but there's talent there. He's a guy who could easily be poached down the line if other teams run into RB injuries.
- OT Alan Herron
Notes: A young, raw player and native of Jamaica who has only been playing football since his senior year in high school. He's built for the part and had some nice moments in the preseason. He's a developmental tackle prospect.
- CB TJ Hall Jr.
Notes: Hall was a 7th round pick of the Saints, which is a selection they acquired as part of the trade for Tyree Wilson. The Saints opted to waive Hall, but I felt like he did enough in camp to merit further development. He's a hard-nosed player who can profile as a physical, press man corner and special teams contributor. The Saints' depth at the CB position isn't exactly ideal right now, so there's a chance we see Hall elevated to the active roster at some point this season.
- DT Jay'Viar Suggs
Notes: Suggs is a player who kept making himself noticed, particularly in the preseason finale when he batted away passes on consecutive possessions. The Saints have a lot of bodies at DT, but not many of them are well proven at this stage. It'll be an interesting position to watch over the course of the season.
- WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper
Notes: A late addition to camp, Moreno-Cropper just kept showing up and making plays in the preseason. The WR position looks strong at the top, but as of today there are only four WRs on the active roster. There will likely be opportunity for call-ups over the course of the year, particularly during the period that Jordyn Tyson is on IR.
- DE Fadil Diggs
Notes: A 7th-round pick from last year, this is the second consecutive season he'll start out on the practice squad. It didn't take long for him to be elevated last season due to injuries. We'll have to wait and see what this year holds.
- RB CJ Donaldson
Notes: Donaldson was a player who got off to a slow start in camp but really came on strong in the final two preseason games. He's got a power back skillset that could prove valuable under the right circumstances.
- OT Easton Kilty
Notes: Kilty has proven to be a versatile player who added center to his repertoire. Much like Will Sherman, who made the active roster, he could theoretically play all five line spots. You can really never have too many guys with that level of versatility.
- WR Trey Palmer
Notes: Palmer was one of the standouts in the early offseason workouts but never really translated that success to camp outside of a deep ball in the joint practice vs the Jaguars and some catches late in the preseason opener. He picked up an injury late in camp, but clearly not one significant enough to land on IR. He could be an intriguing option if the Saints end up with injuries at the WR position.
- LB Jackson Sirmon
Notes: The son of LBs coach Peter Sirmon, Jackson ate a ton of reps in the preseason and produced well. He led the team with 11 tackles against the Rams. With Jaylan Ford down for at least the first four games, it's certainly possible we see some work for Sirmon early in the year.
- OT Alex Wollschlaeger
Notes: Wollschlaeger picked up a lot of work at the tackle spots and offers a developmental depth option, not unlike Herron.
One more player was reportedly signed, but has not yet been announced by the team:
- TE Stone Smartt (report)
Notes: Fantastic football name. Signed with the Chargers as a UDFA in 2022 and played sparingly over the course of three seasons. Spent 2025 with the Jets and was in camp this offseason with the Eagles. College teammates with Saints OL Nick Saldiveri at Old Dominion. Smartt has appeared in 53 career games (7 starts), rolling up 38 catches for 432 yards and a touchdown.
