You don't want to shoulder undrafted free agents with high expectations, but it's tough to ignore how badly the New Orleans Saints wanted to get Alan Herron into their building. The Maryland right tackle was one of 30 pre-draft visits to tour the team facility in Metairie on a recruiting trip, and then the Saints paid him highly to seal the deal. ESPN's Katherine Terrell reports that the Saints gave Herron a $25,000 signing bonus and guaranteed $272,500 of his three-year contract. Those are big numbers for a rookie free agent.

For context, last year the Saints guaranteed $259,000 of their deal with offensive lineman Torricelli Simpkins III, also giving him a $25,000 signing bonus. He made the team in September and started two of the 15 games he appeared in. Now he's competing to be a direct backup for Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy. Herron could be on a similar trajectory.

Herron, 23, started all 46 games he appeared in between two years at Maryland and Shorter University in Georgia. He's also a Jamaican immigrant who didn't play football until his junior year of high school, and he's seen as a prospect with real potential with more experience. Pro-quality coaching and development could help him take his game to a much higher level. The Saints are investing in him to see if that's the case.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Saints made big investment in UDFA tackle Alan Herron