The New Orleans Saints have lost one of their draft picks to a season-ending injury, per Nick Underhill of The Athletic. Rookie linebacker Kaden Elliss exited last week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, though initial evaluations ruled him as questionable to return to the game rather than out altogether. But Elliss did not play again on Sunday, and Sean Fazende of FOX 8 New Orleans confirmed that Elliss was designated to the injured reserve list. Amie Just of Nola.com specified that he suffered a knee injury.
Elliss was drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft, having stood out in college for the Idaho Vandals. His contributions mostly came on special teams (48 snaps played), having never taken the field on defense through three games, though he was listed on the depth chart as a backup middle linebacker.
The loss of Elliss, combined with an earlier injury to Alex Anzalone, left the Saints depleted at the linebacker position. It makes the decision to trade for Kiko Alonso (who led the Miami Dolphins in snaps played over the last few years) certainly look better, and also explains the reunion with former first-round pick Stephone Anthony.
