New Orleans Saints Sign Undrafted Maryland Tackle Alan Herron to Bolster Offensive Line
METAIRIE, La. – April 27, 2026 – Just hours after the final pick of the 2026 NFL Draft was announced, the New Orleans Saints front office got back to work. In a flurry of activity typical of the post-draft scramble, the Saints agreed to terms with 10 undrafted free agents on Saturday. While the class includes several intriguing prospects, the signing of Maryland offensive tackle Alan Herron carries significant weight for a team desperate to rebuild its trenches.
For a Saints franchise that has watched its offense sputter due to protection issues and a lack of a rushing identity, the acquisition of Herron is a calculated bet on upside, athleticism, and a remarkably unique origin story.
The 6-foot-5, 308-pound lineman was not projected to hear his name called during the seven-round draft, yet his signing bonus and guarantees tell a different story. According to sources, Herron received $272,500 in guaranteed money, including a $25,000 signing bonus. That financial commitment is among the highest for a priority free agent this cycle, indicating that the Saints view the Jamaican-born protector not just as a camp body, but as a legitimate developmental prospect capable of making the 53-man roster.
Here is everything you need to know about the Saints’ newest offensive lineman and why New Orleans moved swiftly to secure his signature.
A Non-Traditional Path to the Big Easy
The most captivating aspect of Alan Herron’s resume isn’t his college stats—it’s the passport stamps. Herron was born in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica. Growing up on the Caribbean island, the NFL was a distant dream, not a local reality.
Herron moved to the United States as a youth, settling in College Park, Georgia. Unlike many of his peers who have been groomed for the offensive line since middle school, Herron was a multi-sport athlete who split his time between football and baseball at Banneker High School. It wasn’t until he arrived at Division II Shooter University that his future on the gridiron began to crystallize.
“His athleticism jumps off the tape,” an NFC scouting assistant told Saints Wire on condition of anonymity. “You see the baseball background in his hands. He has quick punches and good footwork. He is raw technically because he hasn’t been doing this as long as the blue-chip recruits, but the physical tools are NFL-ready.”
At Shorter, Herron started 22 games, splitting time between left and right tackle. His dominance at the Division II level earned him a ticket to the Power Five circuit, transferring to the University of Maryland ahead of the 2024 season. Unlike many transfers who take a year to adjust, Herron immediately seized the starting right tackle job and never looked back, starting all 24 games for the Terrapins over the past two seasons.
The Analytics and the Athleticism
The Saints have increasingly leaned into analytics in the Kellen Moore era, and Herron’s numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine likely sealed the deal.
In Indianapolis, Herron turned heads with his raw testing data. He clocked a 5.09-second 40-yard dash and posted a 32-inch vertical jump. For a man weighing over 300 pounds, that vertical explosiveness places him in the 84th percentile historically for offensive linemen, hinting at the power he generates from his lower body.
But the tape backs up the testing. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Herron earned an 80.3 pass-blocking grade during his senior season at Maryland in 2025. That elite figure placed him near the top of the Big Ten conference. In an era where spread offenses force tackles to block in space, Herron proved he could mirror speedy edge rushers.
However, scouting reports note a distinct split in his game. While his pass protection is ahead of the curve, his run blocking is a work in progress, earning a 58.7 grade from PFF. For a Saints team that ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing last season—averaging under 100 yards per game—this is a concern, but also an area where coaching can intervene.
“He is a pass-blocking specialist right now,” the scouting assistant said. “In the SEC or Big Ten, he can ride speed rushers past the pocket. In the NFL, guys like [Tampa Bay’s] YaYa Diaby are stronger and faster. He needs to get stronger in his lower base to anchor against the bull rush, but you can’t teach his length or his feet.”
Why the Saints Needed Him Immediately
The urgency to sign Herron is directly tied to the struggles of quarterback Tyler Shough. In his first season as the full-time starter in 2025, Shough was sacked 49 times. While some of those sacks are attributed to the quarterback holding the ball too long, the lion’s share falls on an offensive line that lacked depth and athleticism on the edges.
While the Saints did select an offensive guard, Jeremiah Wright from Auburn, in the fourth round of the draft, they notably did not select a single true offensive tackle. This left a massive void behind presumptive starters Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning.
“We wanted to add speed to our team, which we did,” Saints GM Mickey Loomis said after the draft, referencing the addition of wide receivers like Jordyn Tyson and Bryce Lance. But Loomis knows that speed at receiver means nothing if the quarterback is horizontal.
The decision to guarantee Herron nearly $300,000 signals that the Saints view him as the primary swing tackle competition entering training camp. Veterans like Justin Herron and Ryan Ramczyk (who is likely playing his final season due to knee issues) are on the roster, but the Saints are prioritizing youth and cost-control.
The “Relay Team” Needs a Blocking Sled
The narrative of the Saints’ 2026 offseason has been the construction of a “relay team.” New Orleans traded for running back Travis Etienne and drafted receivers who run sub-4.4 forties. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak wants to stretch the field horizontally and vertically.
But the offensive line is the engine of any offense. If the line fails, Etienne gets tackled in the backfield, and Shough has no time to find the speedy rookies downfield. Herron fits the type of lineman the Saints have historically coveted: long arms, athletic feet, and a nasty demeanor.
If Herron wins the swing tackle job, he will be tasked with protecting Shough’s blind side if Fuaga misses time. That is a heavy burden for a small-school transfer who has only played two years of high-level college football.
However, Herron has already beaten long odds once—making it from Jamaica to Division I football. The Saints are betting he can do it again.
Roster Implications
Herron is one of ten undrafted free agents signed by the club, a group that also includes Ohio State running back CJ Donaldson and Alabama cornerback DaShawn Jones. The signing brings the Saints’ training camp roster to 91 players, meaning they will need to make cuts to get to the 90-man limit before minicamp in June.
For Alan Herron, the dream is just beginning. He will take the field for rookie minicamp next weekend wearing black and gold, representing not just the University of Maryland, but the island nation of Jamaica—a country better known for producing sprinters and bobsledders than offensive tackles.
“The athleticism is there,” Coach Moore said in a brief statement regarding the undrafted class. “We’re looking for guys who love football and want to get better. We found a few of those.”
If Herron can translate his Division II/ Big Ten athleticism into NFL consistency, the Saints may have found the steal of the undrafted market. If not, the $272,000 guarantee is a small price for a lottery ticket on a human being with that much raw potential.
