Former Pitt tight end Lucas Krull excelled for the New Orleans Saints in their final preseason game against the Houston Texans Sunday night.
Krull led the Saints with seven receptions for 108 yards in the 17-13 loss to the Texans. He did have 15 targets, but still did well with a high number of attempts his way and with the Texans’ defense eventually realizing that quarterback Jake Haener was constantly throwing his way.
His best play of the night came early on in the fourth quarter, when on play-action, he caught a pass from Haener in the middle of the field and then proceeded to run down the sideline, trucking Houston safety Eric Murray before going out of bounds for a 31-yard reception.
Despite not recording a reception in the first preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Krull made an oustanding catch last game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He also had a team-high eight targets in the 22-17 win.
The Saints signed Krull as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft. They cut him prior to the season and signed him to the practice squad. He made his debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last December, appearing in 11 snaps. He signed a futures contract with the Saints in January.
In two seasons at Pitt, Krull racked up 39 receptions for 457 yards (11.7 yards per reception) and six touchdowns — and all but one catch for six yards came during his final season in Pittsburgh in 2021.
Lucas Krull was one half of a strong tandem with fellow tight end Gavin Bartholomew, serving as a key target for quarterback Kenny Pickett as Pitt won the ACC championship.
The Saints have a deep tight ends room, headlined by Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau, Jimmy Graham and fellow Pitt alumni J.P Holtz. Holtz has played in four NFL seasons, signing with the Saints ahead of the 2022 season, and he played in six games last season.
