PFF’s Trevor Sikkema ranked all the receiving corps in the NFL. The New Orleans Saints came in as the 21st best receiving corps in the league. That barely keeps them out of the bottom-ten. Maybe you can take slight solace in the fact the Saints still come in as the second-best in their own division. Honestly, that just speaks to how bad the NFC South receiving corps are. Here’s what Sikkema had to say about the Saints:
I might be one of the few, but I still believe Michael Thomas has plenty left in the tank to make the Saints’ receiving corps a solid one to bet on. Thomas played just three games last year and missed all of 2022 due to injury, as well. But in those three games last season, he caught 16 of his 22 targets for 171 yards and three touchdowns. Chris Olave also had a great rookie season, earning an 82.9 receiving grade, and Rashid Shaheed averaged 17.4 yards per reception.
This is a fair assessment but a poor ranking around the league. The ranking doesn’t really line up with how the corps is viewed. If you still believe in Michael Thomas, which Sikkema does, that takes the receiving corps up a notch. There was a mention of Thomas missing time in past seasons but no concern of him missing time again. Olave had a great season and Shaheed is explosive. These are all aspects PFF mentioned. As you read other teams ahead of the Saints, the description of some corps are more pessimistic than New Orleans.
This confidence in the wide receivers would make you think it’s other positions that cause concern. Tight ends do not seem to sway the grading of other teams in a significant way. However, including positions other than wide receiver would mean Alvin Kamara must be included in the conversation. Overall, the No. 21 spot feels pretty low for this team if health is not a concern. It’s even more questionable when comparing the description of the Saints receiving corps to the writeups of other teams.
The Saints being considered the 21st-best receiving corps and “a solid one to bet on” simultaneously must mean the NFL is deep in receiving corps.
