Having grown up in Atlanta, rookie safety Smoke Monday wouldn't go so far as to call himself a Saints fan, but he was a Drew Brees fan.
Evidence of that could be seen on social media shortly after he went undrafted and signed a UDFA deal with New Orleans, which he celebrated in the Brees jersey he already had in his collection. He followed up that moment with a viral clip as he shouted over at the Falcons' Mercedes-Benz Stadium that he'd see them twice a year.
"He was just one of the best quarterbacks I ever saw play the game," Monday said, speaking at Saints rookie minicamp. "I always wanted to meet him. He was just kind of a guy that I saw that always took the game very serious when it came to learning different things. He always soaked in all the knowledge he could. That’s kind of how I model my game. I want to soak in as much as I can as quick as I can.”
The confidence is clear for the former Auburn Tiger, who was a surprise to many to see go undrafted. He was among the first wave of UDFA's signed by the Saints, immediately drawing attention with his high profile out of the Southeastern Conference, and of course his distinctive name.
Monday has his work cut out for him to make the roster, and would likely be vying for depth roles behind recently signed Marcus Maye and Tyrann Mathieu in the secondary. The Saints also signed Daniel Sorenson, and have veterans PJ Williams and CJ Gardner-Johnson listed at safety, though they play more in the nickel corner role.
Nothing is guaranteed for a UDFA of course, though the Saints organization has quite a track record of pulling quality players from the post-draft signings. The team also made a bit of a statement in guaranteeing $100,000 of his UDFA deal along with a $20,000 signing bonus. Most notably in recent seasons that has included All-Pro return man Deonte Harty, and WR Marquez Callaway who held a key passing game role in 2021 with the team devoid of depth at the position.
Monday said the Saints were quick to show interest in signing him as a UDFA, and it was clear he felt he'd fit right in. His role? "Do whatever the coach asks me to do. You want me to play special teams, I’m there. You want me to run out and hit people, that’s what I’m here for."
It's a common refrain among Saints rookies, including second-round pick Alontae Taylor. Willingness on special teams will get you a long way.
"The Saints wanted me to be in this organization. They showed me a lot of love. It just feels like a place that I fit right in with the defense," he said. "The defense is aggressive, likes to hit people. That’s what they do and I feel like my game models the defense. So it just feels like home.”
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Wearing No. 28, Monday's size (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) stood out among the young group of DBs. He and Taylor both possess the measurables the Saints look for at the position, though without the burner speed (4.52 40-yard dash) that'd have probably gotten his name called on draft weekend. Monday was a standout at Auburn, playing in 44 games over four seasons while rolling up 171 tackles, 6 sacks and 5 interceptions.
The need for depth at his position became apparent with the departure of Marcus Williams to the Ravens in free agency, along with the retirement of Malcolm Jenkins. The two signings will help fill those gaps, but the players behind them could prove pivotal throughout the season. Monday grinned when asked his first impressions of that group.
“Those guys are dogs. They go out every single week and grind and get better, and they love doing it. They have fun doing it. And this is how I play," he said. "I have fun. I’ve got a passion for the game and I go out and play fast and physical, and that’s what this defense do.”
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