Canal Street Chronicles
On Tuesday, the New Orleans Saints finalized their initial 53-man roster. Among those waived were 2022 fifth-round LB D’Marco Jackson and second-year UDFA CB Rico Payton. Jackson was claimed by the Chicago Bears, and Payton by the New York Giants.
Jackson missed his entire rookie season in 2022 due to a hamstring injury but has since carved out a crucial role on special teams.
I was surprised by his release, but the fourth-round selection of Danny Stutsman, combined with the emergence of Jaylan Ford and Isaiah Stalbird, made the position group more crowded than expected—leaving Jackson as the odd man out.
I had hoped he would return to the practice squad, but Chicago swooped in and snagged him off of the waiver wire, reuniting the 27-year-old with his former head coach in Bears DC Dennis Allen.
The former Appalachian State Mountaineer finished his time in New Orleans with 27 total tackles (12 solo), three stops and a fumble recovery in 27 games, according to Pro Football Focus.
Payton was one of last year’s training camp standouts after signing with the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Pittsburg State.
The 25-year-old appeared in 16 games for New Orleans as a rookie, logging a pass breakup and 12 total tackles (10 solo) on special teams.
After another solid camp, Payton struggled in the preseason, posting a 56.1 overall defensive grade compared to an 83.0 in 2024, per PFF.
While I still thought he had a strong chance to make the roster due to his value on special teams, an injury expected to sideline him for two to three weeks likely factored into the decision to waive the fan favorite. That, combined with Rejzohn Wright’s stellar offseason, looks to have cost Payton his roster spot.
