Countdown to Kickoff: Noah Fant is the Saints Player of Day 87

An 87 day wait remains before the New Orleans Saints open up their 2026 regular season. They'll be on the road to do it, playing at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. Wearing No. 87 for the Saints is tight end Noah Fant, one of several newcomers on the offensive side of the ball.

>Fant was a somewhat surprising free agent signing to many. Nevertheless, he's expected to be a big contributor to the Saints offense and a new-look tight end position. Fant is also our Saints Player of the Day, so here's a closer look at his career to date.

Name (age): Noah Fant (28) • >Hometown: Omaha, Neb. • >Position: Tight end • >Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 249 pounds • >College: Iowa Hawkeyes • >Relative Athletic Score: 9.89 • >Drafted: Round 1, 20th overall in 2019 (Denver Broncos) • >NFL experience: 7 years (1st with Saints) • >2026 salary cap hit: $3 millionOut of Omaha South High School in Nebraska, Fant set state receiving records before committing to the Iowa Hawkeyes. He saw moderate action as a freshman in 2016, catching 9 passes for 70 yards and a score. In 2017, Fant set a national NCAA record and an Iowa school record with 11 touchdown receptions by a tight end. His 30 catches for 494 yards were also both second on the team. His production was even better in 2018, pulling in 39 receptions for 519 yards and a team-best 7 scores to earn 1st Team All-Big Ten accolades.

>Both Iowa tight ends, Fant and T.J. Hockenson, were first round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft. Hockenson went eighth overall to the Detroit Lions, while the Denver Broncos selected Fant with the 20th overall choice. As a rookie, Fant recorded 40 catches for 562 yards and 3 scores. That production went up in 2020 with 62 receptions for 673 yards and 3 touchdowns, with his 93 targets second on the team. Fant would have the best season of his seven-year career for the Broncos in 2021. He had 68 receptions for 620 yards and caught 4 touchdowns, leading Denver in receptions.

>During the 2022 offseason, Fant was part of an enormous trade that brought quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver and sent him and several draft picks to the Seattle Seahawks. He played three years in Seattle, grabbing a total of 130 passes for 1,400 yards and 5 touchdowns. His best year was his first, catching 50 balls for 486 yards and 4 scores. During 2025 free agency, Fant signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 34 receptions for 288 yards but 3 scores for the Bengals last season. The yardage, average yards per catch, and total offensive snaps were the lowest of his NFL career thus far.

>Fant comes to New Orleans with terrific athleticism that makes him a coverage mismatch for defenses. His intermediate routes aren't consistently precise, but he has the speed to make big plays down the field or turn a short pass into a big gain. Fant is also an effective but underrated blocker, making him an asset for the running game and key weapon as an in-line tight end. An underrated aspect of Fant's game is his durability. He's missed just seven games during his seven-year NFL career.

>Noah Fant will not start in New Orleans. He'll play behind Juwan Johnson but adds a similar type of receiving threat. Fant will also have a fight to hold onto that second spot with the addition of rookie third round draft choice Oscar Delp in the mix. Johnson, Fant, and Delp gives the Saints a versatile trio of tight ends to open up the offensive playbook, perhaps the best trio at the position in the NFL currently.

>This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Noah Fant is the Saints Player of Day 87