Countdown to Kickoff: Jaylan Ford is the Saints Player of Day 53

We’ve got 53 days left until the New Orleans Saints open up their 2024 regular season against the Carolina Panthers, meaning Jaylan Ford is the Saints Player of Day 53 in our countdown. The holder of the No. 53 jersey and rookie draft pick should aim higher than just making the team. But what road brought him here? Let’s break it down.

• Name (Age): Jaylan Ford (22)
• Position: Linebacker
• Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 240 pounds

• Relative Athletic Score: 8.30

• 2024 salary cap hit: $858,569
• College: Texas
• Drafted: 5th round in 2024 (New Orleans Saints)
• NFL experience: Rookie

There’s a lot to like about Ford’s game. He’s highly experienced despite his young age, having played in all 49 games the Longhorns have had over the last four years, with plenty of special teams reps on his resume. He’s only a two-year starter on defense but amassed 220 tackles and 10 takeaways in that span. He was regarded as a high-upside run defender coming out of school with some skills in pass coverage, though he may lack the high-end athleticism to hold up against NFL pass-catchers.

If he’s going to displace someone who made the team last year like D’Marco Jackson or Nephi Sewell, it’ll be because Ford had a strong summer working on special teams while holding his own with the second-string defense. Beyond covering punts and kickoffs, he needs to prove he won’t be a liability running with halfbacks and tight ends while picking up crossing routes from slot receivers moving into his zone.

Sewell is likely to miss some time recovering from his New Year’s Eve knee injury, so maybe that opens a slot for Ford right away. But the Saints have other players in the mix like Monty Rice, Anfernee Orji, Khaleke Hudson, and Isaiah Stalbird, and he can’t afford to fall behind. Just being drafted in the fifth round isn’t enough to secure him a roster spot behind Demario Davis, Pete Werner, and Willie Gay.