Tyler Onyedim: Saints' Defensive Draft Target

0:00It's April 8th. From breaking news to Sunday matchups, this is NFL News Today, powered by AI. The New Orleans Saints are heading into the 2026 offseason with a clear mission on defense load up on versatile young talent up front. Under new coordinated Brandon Staley, they're building a fluid line that mixes positions and confuses offenses. One name popping up in mid to late round mod drafts is Texas A&M defensive tackle, Tyler Oñetum, a 6-foot-3-295-pound beast with 34-inch arms, who lines up anywhere from nose tackle to wide edge. Onya deems shines as a chess piece, sliding quick on stunts as the looper and penetrating gaps with 8.5 tackles for loss last year. He's built for one gap schemes, shooting into the backfield to Rec Runs early, which plays right into Staley's bag of tricks. These fans know the team loves big frames and reach, like Cameron Jordan or Marcus Davenport, and Oñetum's 81-inch wingspan matches that.

1:03Mold. With aging vets inside, and Jordan may be hitting free agency, he's a Smart Day 3 pick to rotate in on passing downs and develop behind guys like Brian Brasey. That said, he's not flawless struggles anchoring against double teams and sometimes lacks that non-stop motor scouts crave in New Orleans high energy, defense. In the NFC style's run heavy world, getting pushed around could hurt. Still, for a CapTi team, Oñetum's hybrid skills on a rookie deal make him a low-risk upside-play to deepen the rotation and evolve with Staley's. Vision heading into 2026.