The New Orleans Saints wide receiver room has not been helped by average quarterback play over recent years, but a solid end to the 2023 season by Derek Carr offers a brief glimmer of hope for the likes of Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry. The fact that no major signings were added this offseason, despite Michael Thomas heading for the door, is reflective of the fact that there is exciting young talent in this group. Now, in 2024, with Derek Carr entering his second year and new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak bringing his expertise from San Francisco, can they secure a division title, and potentially even more?
In this second article of our position group series, we will be studying the wide receivers, assessing their performances last year and outlook for 2024.
Assessing the Current Crop
The Saints have an intriguing collection of young receivers, led by the trio of Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry. Fortunately, all three of them left the 2023 season with something to be positive about. Chris Olave secured his position as the team’s number one offensive weapon, posting his second-consecutive 1,000-yard season by hitting a career-best 1,123 yards and 5 touchdowns. These numbers are even more impressive when you consider that he was operating in a pretty stagnant passing offense, which utilized minimal pre-snap motions to stress out the defense.
As a result, Offensive Coordinator Pete Carmichael was fired after 15 seasons in the position. Klint Kubiak is the new man in charge of the offense, fresh off a Super Bowl runners-up campaign with the San Francisco 49ers as their passing game coordinator. We all know how effective Brock Purdy was in his second season as starter, but, more importantly, how dominant his receivers were. Brandon Aiyuk hit a career-best 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns on his way to a Second-team All-Pro nomination. The 49ers were creative in getting their guys on the move before the ball was snapped, and that kind of creativity could be perfect for unlocking the next level of development for Chris Olave.
Olave’s strengths are his speed and elite route-running, which could be unleashed in Kubiak’s system. Olave has been really good in his career so far, but it still feels like there is another level to go. The Saints haven’t had a dominant number-one receiver since Michael Thomas’ Offensive Player of the Year season in 2019, but Olave certainly has the potential to be that guy. Expect to see him used a lot more creatively in 2024 and enjoy the results.
The Saints’ second-best receiver in 2023 was Rashid Shaheed, another sophomore. He upgraded his rookie effort of 488 yards and two touchdowns to a very respectable 719 yards and five touchdowns. Shaheed certainly has some similarities in his game to Olave, displaying burning speed and separation ability. He is a very dangerous deep threat who plays tougher than his size would suggest and is another player who will benefit from Kubiak’s arrival in New Orleans. For defenses, the idea of Shaheed and/or Olave getting a running start before the ball is snapped is scary.
Shaheed is nowhere near as refined as Olave when it comes to his route-running and timing, but that’s not to say that he can’t get there. With a new system in place, Shaheed will be fascinating to keep an eye on and is a major breakout candidate.
Behind Olave and Shaheed on the depth chart, we have A.T. Perry, who gets his own section at the end of this article. Then, there are some depth pieces in Cedrick Wilson and Equanimeous St. Brown, and the rookies, Bub Means, Mason Tipton, and Jermaine Jackson. Bub Means is definitely the most exciting of the bunch. He has prototypical size and speed combination for an outside x-receiver, showcasing an ability to win on quick passes as well as downfield.
He lacks the route-running craft required to dominate as a true x-receiver against NFL cornerbacks, but he could find some work early as a vertical threat or screen option guy. The good news is, that he has two very talented route-runners in Olave and Shaheed to learn from when it comes to the nuances of the craft.
Brandon Aiyuk Trade Rumors
The Saints’ wide receiver corps is a young and exciting group, who all appear to have untapped potential to explore. Whilst potential is enticing, there are whispers amongst New Orleans’ fans of a potential trade for a more well-known commodity; someone who is already at the peak of their powers. That person is Brandon Aiyuk, who has produced countless headlines this season because of his public spat with the Niners, resulting in him handing in a trade request last week.
Brandon Aiyuk wants to get paid, and so he should. Dominant x-receivers do not grow on trees, and Aiyuk’s combination of size, speed, and route-running nuance is rare. He deserves to join the long list of wide receivers who have been paid this summer, but it appears the 49ers, who have lots of expensive contracts to pay, are not quite ready to give him that money. Of course, a trade for Aiyuk could be transformational for the Saints’ offense. He would garner the attention of every opposing team’s number-one cornerback, which would provide better matchups for Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
The speed and sharp footwork on show from those three would be thrilling to watch and would make every single play a home-run threat, but it is not that simple. Not only does Aiyuk’s rare skill set make it unlikely that the 49ers would trade him, but even if they did, the draft picks and cash involved would make it an unwise move by the Saints.
Derek Carr is not a cheap player to have on the books, Alvin Kamara needs a new contract of his own and there is still plenty of work to be done to improve the offensive line. A move for Aiyuk would be great, but it is more the kind of move you make to help get the team across the line and win a Super Bowl, rather than during the rebuilding process. If Carr clicks in this new Kubiak offense, then there will be other useful playmakers to add during the season, which won’t cost multiple draft picks and a large bag of cash.
Key Player to Watch Segment: A.T. Perry
A key player to watch in 2024 is A.T. Perry. We already know what to expect from Olave and Shaheed, making A.T. Perry the wild card. At 6 foot 3, 195 pounds, Perry is the big man of the group, offering a completely different skill set to his smaller colleagues. Perry has a big wingspan, a good leap, and the physicality at the catch point needed to make him a quarterback’s best friend.
He also has a top speed that may catch NFL cornerbacks out and showed signs in his college and NFL rookie tape to suggest that he may have a future as an X-receiver. He only had 12 receptions for 246 yards in 2023, but he did collect four touchdowns, including two in the season finale against Atlanta. That was the team’s best outing of the year and Perry’s role in it is very promising. With another full offseason under his belt, it will be fascinating to see how he progresses as a sophomore.
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