The New Orleans Saints have never been afraid to dip their toe into the undrafted free agent pool. Sometimes, they’ll even dive head first into it. As of recent, their fondness of undrafted free agents can most easily be seen, but not limited, to defensive tackle. The most prominent undrafted free agents from last year were wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, offensive lineman Lewis Kidd, and defensive back Smoke Monday.
Two undrafted players to watch this year come from the HBCU ranks: South Carolina State wide receiver Shaquan Davis and Arkansas-Pine Bluff offensive lineman Mark Evans. They both stand a chance to make the roster like Shaheed. Let’s look at what they bring to the table.
Both players bring heavy contract guarantees to the table. Davis comes in tied with Vanderbilt linebacker Anfernee Orji for the second-most guaranteed money given out to Saints undrafted free agents. This just shows the level of investment put into these players early. Davis was the lead receiver for the Bulldogs for the past two seasons. Everybody knew where the ball was going in important moments and still couldn’t stop him.
Davis was a dominant force in the MEAC, leading the conference in yards. Standing at 6-foot-5, you’d be surprised at how well he stretches the field vertically. He averaged 20 yards per catch in each of the last two seasons. He has also showcased the ability to rise to the occasion. In the 2021 Celebration Bowl, Davis had his national breakout game against Jackson State while scoring 3 touchdowns and winning MVP recognition in the bowl game.
Evans is the highest-paid undrafted free agent in this year’s class. He was arguably the most dominant offensive lineman in the SWAC for the last two seasons. He went undrafted likely because of poor size (by NFL standards) and athletic testing. Don’t worry, his film with pads on was more impressive than his drills in just shorts.
He spent his collegiate career as a left tackle but will likely move inside to left guard because of size limitations. He played guard at the East-West Shrine Bowl and looked like he possessed good mobility and an ability to get to the second level of the defense. He might need a year to develop into his new position. That’s expected and not an issue because he likely wouldn’t play until next year anyway. With Doug Marrone’s coaching, Evans could turn into one of the players vying to replace Andrus Peat in 2024 or a valuable utility lineman at another spot.
