We’re continuing our countdown to the 2024 season with each New Orleans Saints player to hold the corresponding jersey number — and with 91 days to go, it means we’re highlighting the current No. 91, defensive tackle Kendal Vickers. So what’s his story, and what are realistic goals for him in 2024? Let’s break it down:
- Name (Age): Kendal Vickers (29)
- Position: Defensive tackle
- Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 295 pounds
- Relative Athletic Score: 7.57
- 2024 salary cap hit: $1,055,000
- College: Tennessee
- Drafted: Undrafted in 2018 (Pittsburgh Steelers)
- NFL experience: 4 seasons
Vickers signed with the Saints after trying out at their rookie minicamp in May, along with a couple of other veteran free agents. He’s someone players on the roster know well from lining up against in the past at practice. He played college football at Tennessee with Alvin Kamara and the bulk of his pro experience came on the Las Vegas Raiders with Derek Carr. Before that he spent a couple years on practice squads around the league. He appeared in two games with the Buffalo Bills last season.
There’s room for one more player in the Saints’ defensive tackle rotation after Malcolm Roach left in free agency, so Vickers might have an easier path to making the roster than you may think. He’s primarily worked as a backup, having logged 603 defensive snaps in 27 games from 2020 to 2023, and that figures to be his role behind Nathan Shepherd, Bryan Bresee, and Khalen Saunders. Rookie draft pick Khristian Boyd is in the mix as well as Jack Heflin, who spent the 2023 season on New Orleans’ practice squad, so Vickers must outwork two young competitors over the summer to earn that spot on the 53-man roster.
