Now that the New Orleans Saints have retained All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas, some may assume the work is done with the team’s group of pass-catches. Young wideouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed has fantastic rookie campaigns in 2022, the team brings back one of the league’s most dominant pass-catchers in Thomas and re-signed ascending tight end Juwan Johnson to a two-year deal However, there is still work to be done, particularly in the wide receiver room.
While Thomas is undoubtedly dominant, health and availability concerns linger. And not just for Thomas, but for the Saints as a whole who have been riddled with injuries over the last few seasons. Shoring up the position with another option would be a smart choice by the organization. We highlighted earlier in the week that Las Vegas Raiders slot receiver Hunter Renfrow would make a ton of sense as a trade target, but the Saints could also look to free agency and the NFL draft if that deal can’t be struck in time.
The mold of Renfrow would be that of a slot receiver, which could be on benefit for New Orleans. The have serious talent on the perimeter and adding a weapon that can attack from the inside in rotation with their versatile pieces could give defenses fits. Here are six players, three free agents and three draft prospects, who could fit that mold.
Free agent: WR Darius Slayton
The Saints and Slayton have been connected before. A link that makes sense because of the relationship between the former Giants wide receiver and Saints wide receiver coach Kodi Burns. They overlapped during Slayton’s college days at Auburn while Burns held the same role there. The two could resume their relationship in New Orleans and perhaps find the same level of success.
Slayton has been embattled since entering the league with constant coaching staff changeover (until now) and poor quarterback play. But in New Orleans, he’d be a part of a system that would play to his strengths. At 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds, he fits the mold of a Saints receiver and watched his slot snaps grow from just 87 in 2021 to 225 last year.
The former Giant also has a ton of experience playing on the outside, so his versatility could come into play in the Big Easy as well. The wide receiver market is working in the Saints’ favor at the moment with a lot of talent not moving this offseason. That could mean that Slayton and Burns could be reunited at a reasonable price.
Draft pick: North Carolina's Josh Downs
The former Tar Heel will consistently be called “the best slot receiver of the class” throughout the offseason process, but he’s a solid player from out wide as well. Downs’ size (5-foot-8, 171 pounds) is his biggest hurdle. Which is the truth for any and all slot receiver options in this year’s draft. So the Saints, who usually like their receiver over 6-foot and over 200 pounds, would have to change their prototype a bit to make a slot selection. But, that process may have already begun.
Last year, New Orleans traded up and selected Olave who measured in at 6-foot and 187 pounds at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. Their other leading contributor in the room, Shaheed, measures in at just 6-foot and 180 pounds. And of course, the now departed Deonte Harty was a major contributor from the slot in 2021 with quarterback Jameis Winston. So the prototype could be a sliding scale based on role.
Downs took 589 snaps from the slot in 2022 and a whopping 815 in 2021. His run after catch ability and remarkably explosive play would be a huge complement to the current group of wideouts.
Free agent: Olamide Zaccheaus
The Atlanta Falcons have pilfered more than their fair share of Saints, now the Saints could return the favor. Zaccheaus has had some productive games against New Orleans during his young career with a multi-touchdown game and three contests with more than 40 receiving yards. The Saints have seen him up-close-and-personal, especially linebacker Pete Werner.
Zaccheaus follows the same trend of an undersized draft pool at the position, but with NFL experience and durability. He’s appeared in 17 games each of the last two seasons at least 406 receiving yards each year behind other talented pass-catchers. He totaled 394 snaps from the slot last year, 236 in 2021. Zaccheaus would be a good fit in New Orleans despite his previous Falcons stint.
Draft prospect: Houston's Nathaniel "Tank" Dell
Dell might end up being the most fun prospect to come out of this year’s NFL draft. He’s an explosive and elusive player who is a massive threat with the ball in his hands. He could be seen as a “gadget player” but with the ascension of players like Kadarius Toney who serve a similar role, the definition of the term is being seen in a more positive light. Saints receiver Shaheed has a similar impact.
Dell came in at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds at this year’s combine, but his playmaking ability is off the charts. With a projected third or fourth-round value, a gamble on his size for the possible return is definitely worth it. In 2022, brought in 109 catches for 1,398 receiving yards and a whopping 17 touchdown catches. The year before he walked in another 12 receiving touchdowns as well. Dell is a big play waiting to happen and the Saints could use that kind of talent in their offense.
Free agent: DJ Chark
Working away from the slot receiver options now, Chark has struggled to stay healthy throughout his NFL career, but the former LSU Tiger is quite the presence when healthy. At 6-foot-4 and 198 pounds, Chark could be a good insurance plan if the Saints receivers have any injuries they are forced to navigate this season.
His 50% contested catch rate with the Lions in 2022 (per Pro Football Focus) is a standout metric that New Orleans would be happy to add. Head coach Dennis Allen mentioned in his end of year press conference that a 50-50 ball guy was something the team lacked after Thomas’ season came to an early end. Having Chark in a rotational role could help to curb his injury history but also help to protect the Saints from their own.
Draft prospect: Wake Forest's A.T. Perry
How about a 6-foot-3, 198-pound burner that ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine? Perry is that guy. The Wake Forest product is a quintessential X-receiver that can flat-out produce with two-straight seasons of at least 1,100 receiving yards and double-digit touchdown catches. He also brings with him a 40% career contest catch rate and just a 10.4% career drop percentage, per Pro Football Focus.
Perry is commonly mocked in the fourth or fifth round of this year’s NFL Draft and could be a great rotational piece and red zone target with his size as he develops. The truth of the contract the Saints struck with Thomas is that it’s a one-year agreement. Meaning that if he has a great 2023 as the team hopes, he could price himself into another big contract in 2024 that New Orleans may not be able to take on. Developing another big-bodied target on the outside that could at least be an option post-Thomas might not be a bad idea for New Orleans.
