The New Orleans Saints went from a receiver room that looked patched together to one that now looks like a real problem for defenses.
A year ago, the comparison was bleak: Kevin Austin Jr., Ronnie Bell and Samori Toure in Week 18 versus Chris Olave, DeVaughn Vele and Jordyn Tyson in Week 1 this season. Even with the reminder that Olave only missed that game, the gap is still obvious.
The Saints didn’t just add more talent at the top. They kept their best piece, brought in a more involved Vele, landed a top-10 pick and built in far more depth than they had before.
That kind of turnaround is why ESPN’s Mike Clay now views the position group as the biggest strength on the roster. It’s a sharp reversal for a unit that could reasonably have been called the team’s biggest weakness just one season ago. However you slice it, the Saints have upgraded the room from top to bottom.
The headliner is still the pairing of Olave and Tyson. That should be the most exciting receiver duo the Saints have had in a decade. But the part that can get overlooked is how much safer the whole group feels now.
New Orleans has seven receivers who could realistically make the initial 53-man roster, even if the expectation is that only six will stick. That extra body matters. It gives the Saints a fallback plan they simply didn’t have last year.
Bryce Lance and Barion Brown are expected to begin the season in smaller roles in the passing game, but both offer upside if injuries hit. Ideally, they get time to grow without being forced into bigger jobs too soon. Still, their presence helps remove the panic that comes when the depth chart gets tested.
And the names on the outside looking in make the depth even more striking. If Ja'Lynn Polk takes the final wide receiver spot, everyone else in that group should have a path to the practice squad after cuts.
Trey Palmer is the most notable name among that group. He’s the kind of player who could be called up to the active roster any week and help. Austin Jr. fits that same mold as a veteran who can step in if things start to go sideways.
The Saints are obviously hoping the receiver room never gets wrecked the way it did a year ago. But if it does, they’re in a much better place to survive it.
In Other News...
Kellen Moore Might Finally Get The Saints Weapon They've Been Missing
A hypothetical draft board can change the way a teams future looks in a hurry, and this one gives the Saints a chance to imagine a very different kind of offense. In the seven-round scenario, New Orleans lands Jordan Love early and then circles back for Malik Nabers, a receiver whose burst and route-running would fit neatly into the kind of passing game Kellen Moore has tried to build around playmakers who can win after the catch.
The appeal is obvious because Nabers already looked like a difference-maker as a rookie, and the comparison to CeeDee Lamb only sharpens the picture of what Moore might be able to shape in New Orleans. The lingering question is whether the board would ever break that cleanly for the Saints, because in this setup Nabers is still there late enough to become the kind of value pick that can tilt a draft and give Moore the weapon this offense has been missing. [Read more 🡒]
Former Saints Champion Just Resurfaced In Deion Sanders' Staff Shakeup
Deion Sanders has kept the Colorado staff in motion, and the latest additions bring in two former NFL players with a familiar connection to his new defensive coordinator. Pierson Prioleau and Xavier Adibi have been hired as defensive quality control analysts, giving the Buffaloes more experience on the defensive side after a recent run of turnover on the sideline.
For Saints fans, Prioleaus name still carries some weight from his days as a New Orleans champion, and now he is resurfacing in a different role under Sanders. Both hires worked with new defensive coordinator Chris Marve at Virginia Tech, which gives Colorado some continuity as it tries to settle the staff after the departures of Marshall Faulk and Warren Sapp. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Shough Just Sent A Strong Message About Saints Wideouts
Tyler Shough has not been shy about what he sees when he looks at the Saints receiving room. Speaking on Chris Longs podcast, the quarterback praised Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson as the kind of pass catchers who can make life easier on an offense, pointing to their speed, route-running and ability to create plays after the catch. For a New Orleans team trying to build chemistry around its young quarterback, those are the kinds of early impressions that matter.
Shoughs comments also offered a glimpse into how he views Tyson beyond the highlights. He acknowledged the receivers injury history, but made it clear he is still eager to get to work with him this season. The Saints have spent plenty of time looking for more reliable explosiveness on the outside, and Shoughs confidence in both receivers suggests he already sees a pairing with real upside if they can stay on the field. [Read more 🡒]