The New Orleans Saints have added some veteran depth to their secondary, signing former Raiders first-round selection Jonathan Abram to the 53-man roster, according to Tom Pelissero.

Saints sign Jonathan Abram from practice squad for added secondary depth

Abram, 27, has already appeared in three games earlier this year for the Saints. He's recorded 8 tackles on the season and has started in one game. Abram last played in a 34-0 win over the New England Patriots on October 8th and has been on the Saints' practice squad.

Saints, Jonathan Abram

Abram is likely being called up to replace safety Marcus Maye, who did not practice on Wednesday with a shoulder injury.

Abram is a former first-round pick of the Raiders. The safety from Mississippi State was selected with the 27th overall pick in the 209 NFL Draft and played with the Raiders from 2019 to 2022.

Abram is known mostly for his run defense as a box safety, and his presence on the field could help the Saints in Week 13 in a tough matchup with the Detroit Lions, who feature a two-headed monster at running back with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.  The Saints have struggled defending the run this season, as they've allowed 4.5 yards per attempt to opposing rushers, which ranks 27th in the NFL.

It's unclear whether or not Abram will start at safety on Sunday at this point.

We'll have more updates on Abram's playing status for Week 13 against the Detroit Lions and whether Marcus Maye will be available at safety for the Saints as Sunday's game time gets closer.