Source: Saints Hosting Potential Day-2 RB for Private Workout

The New Orleans Saints seem to be entering the Travis Etienne Jr. era, but having a solid option alongside Etienne is equally important.

New Orleans signed Etienne to a four-year, $48 million contract on the first day of NFL free agency — a major move with significant implications for the Saints' running back room. First, it puts the writing on the wall for Alvin Kamara's departure from New Orleans. The most likely scenario is that Kamara will either be released or traded as the Saints, entering the second year under Kellen Moore's leadership, move toward a younger scheme.

With young running back Kendre Miller entering the final year of his rookie deal and Devin Neal in his second year, the Saints continue to explore options for the 2026 NFL Draft. They have scheduled a highly-rated running back for a private workout on Thursday, as OnSI has learned.

The Saints could grab a Day 2 running back

The Saints are set to hold a private workout for Washington running back Jonah Coleman on Thursday, sources tell OnSI. Coleman, 22, was hosted by the Seattle Seahawks on a local visit last week and has been garnering plenty of interest from several teams.

Coleman was once seen as the No. 2 running back in the draft class, just behind Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, but he seems to have fallen in public perception due to a lack of on-field testing. He did not take part in any on-field testing at either the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis or Washington's Pro Day.

The former Washington Husky gained over 1,100 yards from scrimmage in 2025, adding 17 total touchdowns to his impressive season. It was the third-straight season Coleman surpassed 1,000 yards from scrimmage, dating back to his 2023 season at Arizona.

Coleman also has two pre-draft "30" visits scheduled with the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos, sources said, two teams expected to be in the running back draft market. Both teams have at least one veteran rusher on their roster heading into the draft, but they lack a clear long-term solution for who they will depend on over the next three to four seasons.

With less than a month until the draft begins, Coleman is ranked No. 99 overall on PFF's big board and is the fourth-highest-ranked running back, behind Love, Jadarian Price, and Mike Washington Jr. Coleman posted a better PFF overall grade (82.1) last season than both Price (78.6) and Washington (78.3).

Only time will tell, but things seem to be moving back in the right direction for Coleman as the entire league and its prospects enter the final stretch of NFL Draft season. Don't be surprised if he's selected in the first three rounds.