What is the story about?
Seven free agents worked out for the New Orleans Saints
on Wednesday, with a mix of different positions in the group. Among those seven, three were running backs, three were defensive ends, and one was a linebacker. This depicts a somewhat obvious trend; with Travis Etienne Jr., Anfernee Jennings, and Pete Werner all suffering injuries this past week, depth will come at a premium for those positions.So let's take a quick look at each free agent who tried out in New Orleans. With multiple players having tried out at different positions on Tuesday already, this is now the second wave of options. These were the three running backs in for a workout on Wednesday:
- Ulysses Bentley IV, Ole Miss. Bentley IV, 25, was an undrafted free agent signing back in 2025 for the Indianapolis Colts, and would spend time on and off their practice squad as a fringe player, signing a futures contract for 2026 but being removed once again before the season. He spent six years at the NCAA level, three with SMU and three with Ole Miss, the best of which was 2020 when he had 170 rushing attempts for 913 yards and 11 touchdowns.
- Hassan Haskins, Michigan. Haskins, 26, was previously a fourth-round selection in 2022 by the Tennessee Titans, spending two seasons there, two with the Los Angeles Chargers, and then a short stint on the practice squad with the New England Patriots this year. He has predominantly been used as a short-yardage back; in 44 games played, he has 76 rush attempts for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 23 first downs. He also works a bit in the receiving game, posting 18 receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown.
- Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana. Mitchell, 28, was a sixth-round selection by the San Francisco 49ers back in 2021, and has by far the most NFL experience of the bunch. Injuries have haunted him over the past few years, with an MCL tear and a season-ending hamstring injury in 2022 and 2024, respectively. However, his 2021 season looms large, when he had 207 rushes for 963 yards and 5 touchdowns, along with 19 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown. While he has mostly been a practice squad player since 2024, he may still have something left in the tank.
Here's a look at the three defensive ends:
- Vincent Anthony Jr., Duke. Anthony Jr., 22, is one of the youngest players brought in over these two days by the Saints, as a 2026 undrafted free agent signing from the Kansas City Chiefs. He also was on the practice squad for the San Francisco 49ers, but was cut on Tuesday, so the Saints looked immediately to see what he's got. His 2025 season at Duke was a strong one, posting 7.5 sacks, 34 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 2 pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
- David Ojabo, Michigan. Ojabo, 26, is one of the players with more draft pedigree to his name of the bunch, as a former second-round selection by the Baltimore Ravens in 2022. Unfortunately, a torn Achilles at his pro day stunted his initial development in the NFL, and then an ACL injury in 2023 slowed it even further. After four years with the Ravens, he had 4.5 sacks and 2 tackles for loss to his name, signing to the Miami Dolphins' practice squad for 2026. He ended up being cut during final roster cutdowns, but could be an interesting option if he can remain healthy and work in a strong defensive scheme.
- Julian Okwara, Notre Dame. Okwara, 28, has played a pretty decent clip in the NFL, as a third-round selection back in 2020 by the Detroit Lions. He has spent time with four different teams since then, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns. In 51 career games, he has 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 72 total tackles, 4 pass deflections, an interception, a forced fumble with the recovery, and 31 total pressures.
And finally, here is the one linebacker who
worked out amongst this group:
- Jesse Luketa, Penn State. Luketa, 27, was a seventh-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, but was also selected in the 2022 CFL Draft in the second round. He stuck with the Cardinals for three seasons, playing in 31 games and starting three, putting up 3 sacks in his 2024 campaign. Ultimately, he has been on the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots practice squads since then, but has not made it back to an NFL roster yet.
The Saints have not signed anyone just yet, but stay tuned. They're visibly looking into bringing in quality depth on defense and at the running back position.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints work out 7 free agent running backs and edge rushers
