In what many are calling a surprising turn of events, Saints tight end Dallin Holker finds himself in a rather unique position for an undrafted rookie at training camp: working with the starters. Despite not being selected in the draft, Holker, who had an impressive season at Colorado State last year, is now seeing valuable time with the first-string offense while tight end Juwan Johnson takes time to recover from offseason foot surgery.
According to Luke Johnson of NoLa.com, Holker has been turning heads on the practice field with his performance. Head coach Dennis Allen had high praise for the young tight end, highlighting his football awareness and intelligence as key attributes that set him apart.
“He’s got football awareness and football intelligence,” Allen commented. “That allows him to find soft spots in zones and things of that nature. He’s really good when the picture changes. For a young guy, to be advanced in that way from a football intelligence standpoint, is pretty impressive.”
In response to his newfound role, Holker remains focused on proving himself as both a blocker and receiver in order to secure a coveted spot on the roster.
“I just come out here and try to practice as hard as I can to be able to make a spot on this team and help us win,” Holker stated.
With Johnson sidelined due to injury, the Saints are lacking depth at the tight end position. Holker’s emergence during training camp comes as a welcome development for New Orleans, potentially providing a significant boost to the team’s offense moving forward.
As the young tight end continues to impress with his performance and determination, all eyes will be on Holker as he looks to solidify his place on the Saints roster and make an impact on the field.