.@Saints @weberstatefb @RashidShaheed SHEED had 7 plays of 30+ in 300 snaps. Explosive speed and just getting started. Also didn’t see him drop a ball. Power to the Free Agents. #whodat #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/9hoFS962ju
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) March 30, 2023
Talk about a diamond in the rough. The New Orleans Saints signed Rashid Shaheed as an undrafted free agent coming off a season-ending ACL injury, and the move paid off in a big way. He was one of their most consistent big-play threats and winner on critical downs in December and January, and his feats caught the eye of NFL analyst Brian Baldinger.
Baldinger highlighted Shaheed in his latest “Baldy’s Breakdowns” video series on social media, saying of the former Weber State standout: “First two touches were two touchdowns. You know there were 28 players drafted in the NFL in front of Shaheed, undrafted. But he’s got speed and he’s got moves.”
Shaheed finished his rookie year with 488 receiving yards in just 12 games, having converted a first down on 18 of his 28 receptions. Even if it’s a small sample size, a catch rate of 82.4% on an average depth of target at 11.6 yards is nothing to sneeze at. Shaheed has real playmaking ability. And, as Baldinger observed, he never dropped a pass on 34 targets.
“Like you watch him play and you go, ‘This is what you get when you’re undrafted?'” Baldinger said in disbelief, highlighting a 40-yard catch against cornerback Jamel Dean in coverage, who signed a $52 million contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. Shaheed has the size to compete in the NFL at a listed 6-foot-flat and 180 pounds. He just needs to show he can give the Saints a full 17 games.
