Rating: (0 votes - average)

There never has been a better time to be a rookie NFL receiver.

Will the New Orleans Saints join the party?

The past three NFL drafts have produced a bounty of terrific young receivers across the league. Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, DK Metcalf and Terry McLaurin were all selected in the second round or later in 2019. Justin Jefferson broke the NFL’s rookie receiving record in 2020, only to be upstaged by his LSU college teammate, Ja’Marr Chase, a year later. Three of the NFL’s five leading receivers in 2021 played on rookie contracts.



It hasn’t always been this way. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis remembers a study from 10 or 15 years ago, which posited that rookie wideouts tended to take a couple of years to truly develop and acclimate to the NFL game.

“Recently that trend has changed,” Loomis said at the NFL combine. “We’ve had guys come in right away as rookies and have significant success. I think that’s probably a reflection of the passing game in college and guys being well-coached.”

more on NOLA

neugey

The kid from Purdue with the big numbers is one to keep tabs on too.

K Major

Just pick one. Most of those guys mentioned have quality tape & Day 1 starter potential.

A few years back, I was hoping we went with Brandon Aiyuk but Saints chose Cesar Ruiz .

I pray and hope we don't "reach" for another lineman in the 1st round.

Hopefully, pick #18 is golden for us .

Rugby Saint II

I hope and pray that we don't reach for an O-lineman in the first round but I definitely want to see another McCoy or Ramczyk type of pick. Michael Thomas wasn't a first round pick and neither were a lot of the valuable picks the last few years. Like you, I don't want to reach for a lineman but I want to nail a great one in the first round.

Look at all the impact players we drafted from the second to fourth round at other positions of need. MT, AK, Adebo, CGJC, and others. I do want to double dip for wide receivers in the draft though since it is so deep at receiver.
.