Saints Wish Rookie Tight End Oscar Delp Happy 23rd Birthday During Training Camp
The New Orleans Saints took a break from training camp drills Tuesday to wish rookie tight end Oscar Delp a happy birthday, posting a graphic on the team’s official social accounts marking his 23rd year. It’s a small moment in a busy camp, but it lands at an interesting point in Delp’s first NFL summer — one where he’s still fighting to carve out a role in a crowded tight end room.
Delp turned 23 on August 4, according to his listed birth date of August 4, 2003. The Saints marked the occasion with a graphic showing him in practice gear, catching the ball at rookie minicamp.
From Georgia’s Tight End Room to New Orleans
New Orleans drafted Delp in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, No. 73 overall, out of Georgia. He didn’t walk into an easy path to playing time. He spent four years with the Bulldogs sharing a tight end room that, at various points, included NFL first-rounders Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington — and he still found his way onto the field, according to SI.com.
He left Georgia with 70 career receptions for 854 yards and nine touchdowns across 55 games, including a senior season in which he started all 14 games. At his pro day, he ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash and posted a 38-inch vertical — numbers that stood out for a player his size at 6-foot-4 7/8 and 245 pounds, per the Saints’ own draft coverage.
Happy Birthday, Oscar Delp 🎉 pic.twitter.com/XW3fXVNWP8
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 4, 2026
He’s also got football in the family. His father, Chris, played collegiate lacrosse at Rutgers, and his brother Harry walked on to Georgia’s football program as a tight end in 2024, according to the Saints’ five-things-to-know profile on the pick.
The Tight End Room He’s Fighting Into
Delp isn’t walking into an empty depth chart in New Orleans, either. The Saints’ 2026 tight end room includes Juwan Johnson, who’s coming off a career year with 77 catches for 889 yards, and veteran Noah Fant, a former first-round pick with 334 career receptions, as Nola.com laid out shortly after the draft. Put together a two-deep today, and Delp might not be on it. That was the honest read back in May.
| Player | 2025 Production | Draft/Acquisition |
|---|---|---|
| Juwan Johnson | 77 receptions, 889 yards | Waiver claim, 2020 |
| Noah Fant | 334 career receptions | Former first-round pick, free agency addition |
| Oscar Delp | 70 college receptions, 854 yards (career) | 2026 3rd round, No. 73 overall |
That’s why the Saints leaned on him early for special teams work. At rookie minicamp back in May, Delp told reporters he was focused on learning the playbook and finding a foothold on coverage units — the classic path for a rookie tight end who isn’t guaranteed early passing-game snaps.
Early Camp Reps Are Already Showing Up
New Orleans opened training camp July 29 in Metairie, a camp that runs through Aug. 27 and includes joint practices in California against the Rams and Cowboys, per ESPN’s camp preview. Delp has already been getting live reps with the third group. A camp report from Louisiana Sports on Day 1 of camp noted Delp catching a pass from quarterback Spencer Rattler with safety Terrell Burgess in coverage — a small rep, but a real one, and a sign the staff is getting him work behind Fant and Johnson early.
That same Day 1 report carried tougher news elsewhere on the roster: defensive end Bryan Bresee was believed to have suffered a torn ACL, according to NFL Network’s reporting cited by Louisiana Sports, a development that — if confirmed — would be a significant blow to New Orleans’ front seven. It’s unconfirmed pending further testing, and it underscores something true of every training camp: injuries, not birthdays, usually decide how a roster spot gets won.
What Comes Next
Delp’s role this season likely comes down to special teams value first, receiving snaps second — at least early. Coach Kellen Moore’s staff has both a proven possession threat in Johnson and a bigger-bodied veteran in Fant already occupying the top of the depth chart. But camp is exactly where a rookie tight end can change that math, one live rep at a time. For now, the Saints marked his birthday. The next marks he’s chasing are on the practice field.
