Countdown to Kickoff: J.T. Gray is the Saints Player of Day 48

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Countdown to Kickoff: J.T. Gray is the Saints Player of Day 48

Countdown to Kickoff: J.T. Gray is the Saints Player of Day 48

Bob Rose , Saints Wire · Saints Wire

Mon, Jul 27, 2026 ·

2 min read

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We now have a 48-day wait remaining until the New Orleans Saints regular season officially begins. New Orleans will start 2026 on the road with a showdown at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. Currently, no Saints player is wearing No. 48. Only eight players in franchise history have ever worn the number. Our Saints Player of the Day feature focuses on J.T. Gray, arguably the best to wear the 48 jersey for the team.

Name (age): Juantavius Tavon Gray (30)
Hometown: Clarksdale, Miss.
Position: Safety
Height, weight: 6-feet, 202 pounds
College: Mississippi State Bulldogs
Relative Athletic Score: 7.90
Drafted: Undrafted in 2018 (Saints)
NFL experience: 8 years (7 with Saints)

Out of Clarksdale High School in Mississippi, Gray would stay close to home with his collegiate selection. After little action as a freshman, Gray became a major part of the Mississippi State defensive unit. Over his last three years with the Bulldogs, Gray had 4 sacks, 15 tackles for loss among his 201 total stops, and returned his only collegiate interception for a touchdown.

Gray was not selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, instead signing an undrafted deal with New Orleans. He didn't do much in the preseason as a rookie, yet was kept on the roster going into the year. He'd only appear in five games before being released in 2018, but was immediately brought back to the practice squad. Since 2019, Gray has widely been considered one of the best special teams players in the NFL.

J.T. Gray was never been much of a defensive contributor for the Saints. He broke up only one pass and has 2.5 sacks in seven years while playing less than 5% of the defensive snaps. Where Gray's importance lied was on special teams, where New Orleans was once annually among the NFL's best. Gray earned a Pro Bowl and first team All-Pro honors in 2021, when he led the league in special teams tackles. He'd earn second team All-Pro recognition in both 2019 and 2024. Gray was arguably the league's best in punt coverage, kickoff coverage, and punt protection.

In a somewhat surprising move, the Saints released Gray at the conclusion of the 2025 preseason. He spent a little time on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad before being signed by the Denver Broncos . He'd appear in one game with Denver before finishing the year with four games as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . This offseason, Gray was signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles .

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Photos from Saints DB Martin Emerson Jr.'s youth football camp

Young athletes run drills during his Youth Football Camp at Pine Forest High School Saturday, July 11, 2026, Emerson was on hand helping to run drills, engage with the youth, and provide hydration, giveaways, and lunch.

(John Blackie/Pensacola News Journal, John Blackie/Pensacola News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)