Nathan Daniel Shepherd (born October 9, 1994) is a Canadian professional American football defensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Standing as a testament to how far he has come, his journey to the NFL is an honor.

Canadian Football to the NFL

The Ajax, Ontario native originally started his college football career at Simon Fraser (Canada). A standout at McNeese State, he was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.

A Rising Star in the NFL

Shepherd has worked throughout his time in the NFL to get better every year and provide high-quality minutes for whichever team he holds a spot with. He’s displayed that he can penetrate the offensive line, get hits on quarterbacks and make tackles in big spots.

After his standout season with the Jets, he signed on in 2023 with the New Orleans Saints. The Saints believed they were finding a player with significant upside in Davenport and that his ability to bolster their defensive front four was ready for today.

A Unique Journey

The big thing about Shepherd however is that he made the leap from the Canadian style of football to North American, a much more physical brand. His experience in the NFL served as powerful statement of Canadian talent — and showed that adversity on-and-off-the-field could be overcome.

A Bright Future

Globally, given time to learn and grow his REP package at the next level Nathan Shepherd could become an upper-echelon NFL defensive lineman. Workhorse and competitor in the mold of Eric Williams.

Nathan Shepherd’s NFL journey has been very brief — did you forget about the former New York Jet as well?