The New Orleans Saints’ first unofficial depth chart of the offseason didn’t bring many surprises, but one name did jump out: Barion Brown.
Brown is listed as a second-team wide receiver, and that lines up with what has been happening throughout training camp. He has pushed himself into first-team work and looks like he has climbed faster than most people expected before camp even started. That rise is a reflection of how well he has played.
Everything else on the chart appears to be what it would have looked like before camp opened. Brown is the spot that signals a real change.
What makes his camp stand out is how much his stock has risen in such a short time. He has been one of the most talked-about players in New Orleans early on, and the depth chart only adds more proof that he has carved out a place for himself beyond special teams.
Coming into camp, Brown was viewed as a roster lock largely because of what he could do as a returner. That still matters, but it no longer feels like the whole story. His role is growing, and the Saints seem likely to use him on offense too, even if that starts in a limited way.
That is also why the Shaheed comparisons keep building. At first, the connection was about Brown potentially taking over return duties. Now, there is a sense that he could fill a similar offensive role as well.
The source of that comparison is simple: Brown looks like a player the Saints can use just to get the ball in his hands. That is how Shaheed was used early on, before injuries pushed him into a bigger offensive role. Injuries can’t be predicted, but Brown already looks like the kind of player the Saints will want involved in that same way.
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