Day 77 of our countdown to the New Orleans Saints season opener lands at the offensive tackle position with newly-acquired Justin Herron, who currently owns the No. 77 jersey. Herron, a former Wake Forest standout, spent his first four years with the New England Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders playing a total of 35 games in his NFL career.
Before we get into more detail on Herron and his potential role with the Saints in 2024, let’s make sure to highlight him as our Saints Player of the Day.
- Name (Age): Justin Herron (28)
- Position: Offensive tackle
- Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 290 pounds
- Relative Athletic Score: 3.99
- 2024 salary cap hit: $985,000
- College: Wake Forest
- Drafted: Round 6, Pick 195 in 2020 (New England Patriots)
- NFL experience: 5 years
Herron is one of the many offensive linemen acquired in free agency by the Saints, a group that was brought in to compete for starting roles or to provide depth along the line. Herron, an offensive tackle by stature, has been provided all the opportunity in the world by joining the Saints.
Before the addition of Taliese Fuaga, the team had two huge voids on both ends of the line. Right now, former first-round pick Trevor Penning has the inside track on the right side of the line but by no means has he solidified the job. Penning struggled mightily in the beginning of last season leading to his benching early on. Herron could move Penning off his spot come training camp, however there will be competition for it. Free agent acquisition Oli Udoh, former sixth-round pick Landon Young and this year’s seventh rounder Josiah Ezirim will be in the mix for that job as well. It’s likely that the team will carry nine offensive linemen come September which could also allow Herron to make the team as a depth player behind the starting five.
All in all, this offensive tackle race is one of, if not the most intriguing on the team. It will ultimately come down to who can maintain consistency throughout camp and even into the start of the regular season. We’ll see how this all plays out very shortly as training camp starts later in July.
