New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Saturday that the club has agreed to terms with the following rookies following the conclusion of the NFL Draft; running back SaRodorick Thompson Jr., offensive linemen Alex Pihlstrom and Mark Evans II, tight end Joel Wilson, punter Lou Hedley, defensive back Anthony Johnson, linebackers Anfernee Orji and Nick Anderson, kicker Blake Grupe and wide receivers Shaquan Davis and Sy Barnett.
The New Orleans Saints agreed to terms with 11 undrafted rookies following the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Thompson, 6-0, 220, played for Texas Tech from 2018-22, who as a three-time All-Big 12 performer, finished his college career with 2,664 rushing yards and 49 touchdowns off of 540 carries. In 2022, he finished with 684 yards and seven touchdowns on 139 carries.
Pihlstrom, 6-6, 305, was at Illinois from 2017-22 and played in 38 career games with 25 starts along the offensive line for the Illini. In 2022, the Glen Ellyn, Ill. native started all 13 games at center, as part of an the first Illinois offensive line to be a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, recognizing the nation's top offensive line.
Evans, 6-2, 295, was a four-year letterman and three-time all SWAC selection at left tackle at Arkansas Pine Bluff. The Houston Texas native, received all-conference honors in 2022 for the third consecutive season and was invited to participate in the HBCU Legacy Bowl, as well as the HBCU Combine in February, which took place at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center.
Wilson, 6-4, 250, finished with career totals of 82 receptions for 874 yards with 12 touchdowns, over a four-year, 34-game career at Central Michigan. The Petoskey, Mich. native, started and played in nine games in 2022 and finished with 44 receptions for 445 yards, while leading the Chippewas with six touchdowns.
Hedley, 6-4, 220, is a Mandurah, Australia native, who was a four-year letterman at the University of Miami. In 2022, Hedley averaged 45.3 yards per punt for the Hurricanes. In 2021, He was a second-team All-ACC selection as he averaged 44.9 yards per punt with 19 dropped inside-the-20-yard line. In 2020, he captured second-team All-ACC and Associated Press All-American honors, when he ranked second in the nation in gross punting average.
Johnson, 6-2, 205 was a was a four-year letterman at Louisville (2019-20) and Virginia (2021-22), In 2022, the Coconut Creek, Fla. native was one of five team captains and started all ten games at cornerback, where he finished tied for second in the ACC and 18th in the nation with 14 passes defensed.
Orji, 6-1, 230, is a Rockwall, Texas native, who was a four-year letterman at Vanderbilt, who led the Commodores in tackles for three straight seasons. In 2022 as a senior, he logged 81 tackles and returned a fumble 28 yards for a touchdown to capture second-team Phil Steele All-Southeastern Conference honors.
Davis, 6-5, 180, was a four-year letterman at South Carolina State. The Summerville, S.C. native enjoyed his finest season in 2022, when he made 45 catches for 934 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Grupe, 5-7, 156, played his graduate season at Notre Dame in 2022, after beginning his college career at Arkansas State. He led Notre Dame in points scored during his lone season, scoring 91 points on 14-of-19 on field goals and a perfect 49-for-49 in point after attempts.
Anderson, 5-11, 230, was a four-year letterman at Tulane who played in 49 games for the Green Wave and finished his college career with 275 tackles, 27 stops for loss, 10.5 sacks, six passes defensed, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick. In 2022, the Vicksburg, Miss. native, was a leader on the Green Wave defense and recorded 105 stops, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one blocked kick for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl champions.
Barnett, 6-0, 192, recorded 53 receptions for 694 yards and four touchdowns for Davenport University in 2022. The Williamston, Mich. native transferred to Davenport from Ferris State, where he enjoyed his most productive season in 2018, recording 43 receptions for 1,003 yards (23.3 avg.) with nine touchdowns.
New Orleans Saints fans attended the team's annual Draft Crawfish Cookout at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Saturday, April 29 on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft.