Orchard is of Tongan descent. He attended Highland High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. He played football, basketball and competed in track. In football, he played as a wide receiver and defensive end. As a senior, he had 58 receptions for 1,351 yards and 17 touchdowns on offense and 62 tackles, 17.5 sacks and two interceptions on defense. In track & field, Orchard competed as a sprinter and posted personal-bests of 11.9 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 54.3 seconds in the 400-meter dash at the 2009 Region VI T&F Championships. Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Orchard was ranked as the No. 60 wide receiver in his class.
College career
As a true freshman at the University of Utah in 2011, Orchard played in all 13 games, recording four tackles. As a sophomore in 2012, he started 11 of the 12 games, recording 48 tackles, three sacks and a touchdown on a fumble recovery. As a junior in 2013, he started all 12 games, recording 49 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Orchard entered his senior season in 2014 as a starter. In his senior season, Orchard recorded 84 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 18.5 sacks. Orchard won the Ted Hendricks Award for his performance.
Professional career
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns picked Orchard in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. On May 6, he signed a four-year contract worth $4.466 million, which included a $1.058 million signing bonus. At least $2.581 million of Orchard's contract is guaranteed. On October 1, 2016, Orchard was placed on injured reserve. On September 1, 2018, Orchard was released by the Browns.
Buffalo Bills
On September 10, 2018 he was signed by the Buffalo Bills. He was released by the Bills on October 2, 2018.
On November 27, 2019, Orchard was signed by the Washington Redskins. In week 13 against the Carolina Panthers, Orchard sacked quarterback Kyle Allen once and recovered a fumble forced on Allen by teammate Chris Odom late in the fourth quarter to seal a 29–21 win. Orchard re-signed with the team on March 25, 2020.
Personal life
Orchard legally changed his name from Napa'a Lilo Fakahafua to Nathaniel Fakahafua Orchard in honor of his adopted family. He is married to Maegan Webber Orchard and has a daughter named Katherine Mae Orchard, named after his mother Katherine Orchard.
