Oscar
Delp.
Oscar
Delp.
Georgia· 6'5"· 245 lb
"True in-line Y tight end whose blocking floor is already NFL-ready; four years behind Bowers and Washington in Athens capped route production, not the frame or the tape."Pre-draft read
This tight end consistently aligns as an in-line Y, blocking with power. He establishes his base and gains inside hand position to seal the C-gap against SEC defensive ends in both gap and zone schemes. When climbing, he demonstrates clear intent and selects optimal angles on lead blocks in the flat.
As a receiver, he utilizes size and body positioning over burst to win routes. He settles into windows on hooks and executes firm digs, boxing out defenders on seam and back-shoulder throws, especially in the red zone. His natural hands secure catches away from his body, tracking the ball well on play-action. His change of direction is stiff on shallow crossers; separation on option routes comes from frame and route precision, not sudden agility.
New Orleans will run a wide zone system with RPO elements that builds off the outside zone and play-action concepts Delp has run for five years.
Immediate starter as an in-line Y tight end in 12 and 22 personnel, with a ceiling as a reliable 55-catch safety valve who anchors the run game for a decade.
A system that asks him to detach and run a full route tree from the slot, especially one that leverages option routes or expects him to generate separation through sudden change of direction, would diminish his value.
Delp's strengths align perfectly with the Saints' offensive scheme, offering an immediate impact as a run-blocking and red-zone threat while providing a high floor given his extensive pro-style reps at Georgia.
Oscar Delp Highlights | Georgia TE | 2026 NFL Draft
Team-produced cutup released after the pick — full run of blocks, seam catches, and red-zone reps.
Oscar Delp is a Violent, Aggressive Blocker
Focused breakdown of Delp's in-line blocking technique and why it grades as a top-of-class trait.
Oscar Delp Georgia Career Highlights
Full-career cutup — catches, blocks, and red-zone reps from 2022 through 2025.
This prospect projects as a plug-and-play Y-tight end whose primary value stems from his blocking prowess, making him an immediate asset to solidify a team's run game. His physical dimensions, 6'5"/245, align perfectly with the in-line role, and his extensive experience in a pro-style college offense suggests a quicker transition to NFL schemes.
He emerged from a deep tight end room at Georgia, experiencing limited target shares for his first three seasons behind other notable players. He finally earned a starter's role as a fifth-year senior in 2025, accumulating 51 receptions for 670 yards and 7 touchdowns. This late breakout came after significant exposure to high-level competition and complex offensive systems.
Evaluators generally viewed him as a day-two prospect, valuing his blocking as near best-in-class but noting that his receiving upside was limited by a lack of vertical speed, as confirmed by an unofficial 4.79 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. The New Orleans Saints selected him as the 73rd overall pick to provide a capable, in-line complement to their existing tight ends.
- 01
Exceptional In-Line Blocker
He sustains blocks through the whistle on gap concepts, effectively single-blocking SEC defensive ends.
- 02
Ideal Frame and Length
His 6'5"/245 frame allows him to play to his size in congested areas as a true Y-tight end.
- 03
Reliable Red-Zone Target
He consistently boxes out defenders on fade and back-shoulder throws, converting 7 touchdowns as a senior.
- 04
Pro-Style System Experience
Developed in a pro-style college system, indicating fluency in NFL protections, motion tags, and Y-off alignments.
- 05
Reliable Hands
He secured catches through contact and in tight windows with only three drops on 116 targets over two seasons.
- 01
Below-Average Long Speed
His 4.79 40-yard dash limits his ability to stretch defenses vertically as a seam threat.
- 02
Late College Breakout
His breakout came late, with only one full season as a primary starter, raising questions about his projected NFL receiving volume.
- 03
Stiff Change of Direction
His stiff change of direction limits his tempo out of break points on shallow crossers.
- 04
Limited Athletic Profile
He missed combine on-field workouts and only participated in limited splits at his Pro Day.
| Yr | Team | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Georgia | 13 | 5 | 61 | 1 |
| 2023 | Georgia | 14 | 24 | 284 | 3 |
| 2024 | Georgia | 14 | 21 | 248 | 4 |
| 2025 | Georgia | 14 | 20 | 261 | 1 |
| Career | — | 55 | 70 | 854 | 9 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
- Gunner StocktonQB30%
- Zachariah BranchWR9%
- Colbie YoungWR7%
#10 of 22 tracked contributors · Produced in line with his snap share · Offense explosiveness 1.15 (p10) · CFBD — usage x PPA per tracked player
Physical Y-tight end who blocks like a starter, catches everything in his frame, and lives in the red zone without stretching the field vertically.
True in-line Y who won early with blocking and grew into a 60-catch Rob-Gronkowski-lite red-zone target; Delp would need a target share bump to hit this ceiling.
Blocking-first Y who never separates enough to command a full-time receiving role; carves out a decade as a TE2 in 12-personnel packages.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context
Oscar Delp was a top-five national TE recruit out of West Forsyth (GA) in the 2022 class who chose Kirby Smart over Clemson and Notre Dame — and then walked into the toughest TE room in college football. He spent 2022-2023 behind Brock Bowers (getting scraps as a true freshman and modest RB2-style usage as a sophomore), then split time in 2024 with Ben Yurosek and Lawson Luckie. Only in 2025, as a fifth-year senior, did he get a starter's share and cash it in: 51 catches, 670 yards, 7 touchdowns, and one of the best in-line run-blocking grades in the country per PFF. The profile that emerged on the pre-draft circuit was clear — plug-and-play Y-tight end, blocking-first, red-zone target, capped by pedestrian long speed (unofficial 4.79 at Georgia's Pro Day). Media boards had him as TE5 or TE6 with a mid-day-two grade.
NFL fit — New Orleans Saints
New Orleans took him at #73 to fill a gap that has been open since Jared Cook: a true in-line Y who can hold up in the Saints' outside-zone concepts and give Juwan Johnson a legitimate 12-personnel partner. Expect immediate work as TE2 with heavy in-line blocking snaps on early downs, red-zone packages designed for his frame, and a runway to the TE1 role by 2027 if Johnson leaves in free agency. the system uses two-TE looks heavily, and Delp's SEC pass-pro reps translate directly to chip-and-release protections that most rookies aren't trusted with.
Retrospective
Too early to grade a rookie, but the archetype writes the ceiling and floor cleanly. Ceiling: a 55-catch, 600-yard Y starter with a decade of red-zone touchdowns and the blocking to keep him on the field for 900 snaps a year — a slightly-smaller Cole Kmet outcome. Floor: a career TE2 like Adam Trautman, blocking specialist in 12-personnel with 25-catch seasons, still a valuable roster piece for a team that runs the ball. The scouting community got the archetype right; whether he clears TE2 comes down to how much of the 2025 target volume follows him to the Superdome.