An elite athletic tester and former Nebraska walk-on, Isaiah Stalbird turned a South Dakota State finish into a steady special-teams career in New Orleans.
Isaiah Stalbird is a linebacker for the Saints whose road to the NFL started as a walk-on at Nebraska before he transferred to South Dakota State to close out his college career. Undrafted in 2024, he has since become a trusted special-teams contributor and a growing part of New Orleans' defensive rotation.
Path to the league
Stalbird walked on at Nebraska before transferring to South Dakota State, where he played 52 games between linebacker and safety and totaled 238 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 18 pass breakups and five forced fumbles. He posted an elite Relative Athletic Score of 9.50 coming out of college and went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, signing with New Orleans as a free agent.
Career highlights
Stalbird earned a three-year, $2.84 million contract from the Saints as an undrafted signee, a notable investment that reflected his special-teams upside. He worked almost exclusively on special teams as a rookie in 2024 before expanding his role on defense the following year.
2025 season recap
In his second season, Stalbird showed increased versatility in New Orleans' defense, recording 11 tackles, a pass breakup and two sacks while leading the team in coverage stops on special teams, continuing his rise from undrafted free agent to core special-teamer.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Isaiah Stalbird
- Pro Football Reference: Isaiah Stalbird
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
17 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | saints | 17 | 25 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | saints | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- South Dakota State
- Hometown
- Kearney, NE, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
