Here's another name to add to the New Orleans Saints' list of official 30 visits: Nebraska tight end Thomas Fidone II. Sportskeeda's Tony Pauline reports that Fidone has scheduled a formal visit at the Saints' headquarters in Metairie.
In addition to this official visit coming up with the Saints, Pauline says Fidone has received a lot of attention from the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings, and that he'll also work out privately for the Buffalo Bills. He's projected to be picked on the third day of this year's draft. Fidone previously competed at the Senior Bowl, on the American Team with Saints associate head coach/running backs coach Joel Thomas (who worked the event as the American Team offensive coordinator), so he's someone they've had contact with before.
Fidone was once seen as the top tight end on the high school recruiting circuit, and his performance at this year's NFL Scouting Combine confirmed the athleticism that made college coaches so excited. He weighed in at 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds before timing the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds flat, with outstanding numbers in the jumps and agility drills. That all combined for a rare 9.41 Relative Athletic Score (on a scale of 1 to 10), a metric which closely aligns with the Saints' own in-house standards.
Knee injuries kept Fidone off the field his first few years at Nebraska, but he played a key role in Matt Rhule's offense when the new head coach arrived in 2023. Fidone broke out with 25 catches for 260 yards that season and leveled up to catch 36 passes for 373 yards last year. He's got the look of someone whose best football is still ahead of him, but that's why he's a third-day pick instead of a second-day prospect.
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