Stone Smartt isn't done with the NFL just yet.
The Old Dominion tight end landed on the New Orleans Saints' practice squad heading into the 2026 season, keeping him firmly in the professional football conversation after navigating the roster cut-down period. The Saints also added wide receiver Cedric Tillman to the unit, signaling New Orleans is bolstering its depth at multiple skill positions as the regular season gets underway.
For Smartt, the practice squad designation is more lifeline than consolation prize. Practice squad players remain eligible for elevation to the active roster on a weekly basis, meaning a single injury or game-plan adjustment could thrust him into live action at any point during the year. For a tight end with NFL experience, staying attached to a roster — any roster — is how careers get extended and opportunities get made.
Smartt's path to New Orleans is the kind of story that defines the ODU football legacy in the pros: undrafted or lightly recruited, grinding through roster battles, and finding ways to stick around. He's not alone in that regard.
Other Monarchs in the League
The broader ODU contingent across the NFL remains one of the more quietly impressive alumni clusters for a program outside the Power Four. Nick Saldiveri continues to hold down a roster spot with the Saints at offensive tackle, meaning Smartt has a familiar face in the building — and a teammate who knows exactly what the grind looks like.
Elsewhere, Zack Kuntz is with the Cowboys at tight end, giving Old Dominion a pair of TEs fighting for relevance at one of the sport's most competitive positions. Tre Hawkins III is with the Vikings at cornerback. Keion White is on the 49ers' defensive line. Taylor Heinicke is with the Chargers. Oshane Ximines is in New England with the Patriots, and Rick Lovato continues his long-snapper career in Los Angeles with the Chargers alongside Heinicke.
It's a roster of contributors, special teamers, depth pieces, and the occasional starter — exactly the profile of what a mid-major program can realistically produce at the NFL level when it develops players the right way.
For now, the spotlight belongs to Smartt. A practice squad assignment at the start of a season is not a footnote — it's a foothold. Whether he converts it into something more will be one of the minor storylines worth tracking as the 2026 NFL season unfolds.
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