Saints Draft Seventh Round TE Moliki Matavao

By Shane Hallam | Updated on Sat, Apr 26 2025 10:56 PM UTC

The New Orleans Saints selected UCLA Moliki Matavao in Round 7 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Matavao couldn’t beat out TE Terrance Ferguson for the starting job at Oregon, so he transferred to UCLA ahead of the 2023 season. He caught just 14 balls in his first year with the Bruins but broke out with a 41-506-2 line last year. The catches and yards led the team – although Matavao’s 16.0% Dominator Rating ranked just 14th among the 21 TEs the Combine. His 1.65 yards per route tied for eighth. The 6’6, 260-pounder split his time fairly evenly as a slot, in-line, and out wide player. He impressed with the ball in his hands, notching 7.8 yards after catch per reception. But Matavao’s modest athleticism (6.59 Relative Athletic Score) and single year of production make him a long shot for real fantasy value.

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

The Saints TE room is mediocre with Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, and Foster Moreau.

Matavao's size and hands make him an intriguing reserve TE who can block and catch a pass or two

He likely won't be fantasy relevant.

Dynasty Impact

Moliki Matavao's stiffness makes him unlikely to be a big time fantasy producer, even in a decent siutation.

He is a pass in rookie drafts.

Shane Hallam, Writer

Shane has over 20 years of experience creating content and playing every fantasy football format, including redraft, dynasty, devy, C2C, IDP, CFF, and more. He is a multi-year winner of $500 dynasty leagues on the FFPC and a King's Classic Champion. Shane utilizes deep film and scheme study to enhance his fantasy performance. He led the industry in 2024 preseason Kicker Rankings and ranked second in preseason QB Rankings. He also ranked eighth in preseason IDP rankings.