A closer look at newest Saints tight end Stone Smartt

One of the roster changes made by the New Orleans Saints since roster cutdowns on Sunday was adding another tight end. Fourth-year veteran Stone Smartt was a waiver claim by the Saints for their practice squad.

Awarded No. 84 upon his arrival, Smartt is joined on the practice squad by tight end Treyton Welch, re-signed by New Orleans on Wednesday. Here's a closer look at Smartt, the team's newest tight end.

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A state championship quarterback at Del Oro High School in California, Smartt would be recruited to play quarterback at Northern Arizona. He'd transfer to River City Community College after one year with next to no action. After one year as a JUCO All-American, Smartt then transferred to Old Dominion. He was the quarterback for the Monarchs in 2019, completing 57.1% of his passes for 1,006 yards with 1 touchdown, 6 interceptions, and 181 rushing yards with another 5 scores. In 2021, Smartt moved to wide receiver. That year, he'd pull in 17 receptions for 167 yards.

Smartt was not selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, instead signing on with the Los Angeles Chargers. Head coach of the Chargers at that time was Brandon Staley, defensive coordinator for the Saints. Staley would coach Smartt into his second year with the Chargers. Offensive coordinator for the Chargers that second season in 2023 was Kellen Moore, now head coach of New Orleans.

As a rookie in 2022, Smartt appeared in seven games with one start, catching 4 passes for 17 yards. In 2023, he'd appear in 16 games with three starts, playing in what remains a career-best 309 offensive snaps. Smartt would have 11 receptions for 155 yards, catching his first career touchdown. He'd have 16 catches for 208 yards in 2024, his career-high in both categories to this point.

Smartt was signed by the New York Jets during 2025 free agency. He'd appear in 15 games and catch 7 balls for 52 yards. This offseason, Smartt was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency but released on Aug. 29. The Saints signed him three days later after roster cutdowns throughout the NFL.

Smartt is expected to start 2026 on the practice squad. New Orleans has three talented tight ends in Juwan Johnson, Noah Fant, and rookie Oscar Delp. However, Smartt may get a look on special teams at some because of his athleticism. He's played 445 snaps on the special teams units over the last three seasons. A former high school and college quarterback, Smartt also has some versatility to go along with his athletic skills that could be beneficial to the Saints offense as a developmental player.