New Orleans Saints Desperate For Yards After Catch Threats at Wide Receiver, Can Get Leg Up In NFL Draft

The New Orleans Saints have talented wide receivers on their roster, but an injection of playmaking, yards after catch ability could taken them to the next level and make quarterback Derek Carr's job a lot easier.

There are a handful of premiere catch-and-run playmakers in this year’s NFL Draft. The New Orleans Saints should be targeting them and planning to land at least one. Beyond All-Pro returner Rashid Shaheed, the Saints lack a yards after catch (YAC) threat at wide receiver. They should be able to address this need if they play their cards right in a stacked draft class. 

With the team’s new offensive system set to be in place, one outstanding curiosity is whether or not they will pursue a Deebo Samuel-esque presence. A positionless weapon that can contribute as a pass-catcher and route-runner from all over the field and who is a threat with the ball in their hands. One that would allow quarterback Derek Carr to get the ball out quickly, leveraging the skill players around him for big plays on manageable connections.

New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak spent only one season with the San Francisco 49ers, so how much he takes from that system remains to be seen. But it would be hard to believe that someone that spent any amount of time helping to gameplan for a player like Samuel would not take at least something from it.

This year’s class provides the talent and opportunity to bring a rookie with the necessary skill set  into such a role. Here are three options where the Saints can find an explosive weapon in this year’s draft along with some honorable mentions. Including one from a different position entirely. 

South Carolina WR Xavier Legette

Dec 30, 2022; Jacksonville, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) runs

Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Some experts have said that Legette is better now with the ball in his hands than Samuel was coming out of the same college in 2019. Legette comes in bigger than Samuel and higher on the RAS scale which measures athleticism relative to the history of testing at the player’s position. 

Samuel entered the NFL with a 7.92 RAS while Legette will carry a whopping 9.88 RAS into draft night. Legette also measures in a shade bigger at 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds, two inches taller and seven pounds heavy than Samuel entering the league. While that does not automatically indicate that Legette will exceed Samuels' production at the next level (a tough chore), it shows that he has the traits to be special.

The South Carolina wideout is tough to bring down after the catch because of his build. He averages 6.7 yards after catch per reception per Pro Football Focus. The best in that arena in the Saints’ wide receiver room last year was Lynn Bowden at 5.4 per catch. But among those with more than 30 receptions in the year was Chris Olave at 4.1. 

Legette would provide an immediate boost of physical yards after catch playmaking while also providing the team what it is looking for in a big-bodied reliable receiver in the outside. His ability to move around would allow players like A.T. Perry to continue to develop as an option at X-receiver as well and partners well with the mobility of Olave and Shaheed. 

Projected round: End of Day 1 - Early Round 2. The Saints would likely need to use pick No. 45 to land Legette or must trade up in the second or bottom of the first round to ensure his selection.  He is an ideal blend of perimeter receiver and YAC threat that has a lot of NFL teams buzzing. 

Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley

Dec 18, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Malachi Corley (11)

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Widely considered the best YAC threat of the draft, Corley has it all. He compiled on the most screen yards in the 2024 wideout class, averaged 8.6 yards after carry per reception in 2023 and avoided 39.6% of tackles in 2022. 

He has playmaking ability with the ball in his hands because he turns into a running back as a carrier. His game is less about finesse and more about power, breaking through arm tackles and always keeping his feet working. He has done most of his damage from the slot, taking just 51 snaps from out wide last year. 

In 2023, Corley's average depth of target was a mere 5.5 yards. Despite this, he averaged 12.5 yards per reception and 2.78 yards per route run. Those are mind-boggling numbers considering he barely was given half a first down per catch in air yards. The rest, he did on his own.  He also adds versatility with being able to be deployed from the backfield as a route-runner or ball-carrier.

Corley ranks second in this draft class in yards after catch and second among wideouts with screens removed. Even though he was dominant in the screen game, his game is far more expansive. If Corley is indeed the next Samuel, then Kubiak and the Saints should have their eyes on him. The team had Corley in for a Top-30 visit during their draft process, which suggests that may be the case. 

Projected round: Day 2 (Rounds 2 or 3). The Saints could jump on this selection at pick No. 45 and no one would bat an eye. Corley is the type of playmaker the Saints desperately need to add to their room. 

Virginia WR Malik Washington

Oct 28, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Malik Washington (4)

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Typically, a receiver like Washington could immediately be ruled out of the Saints strategy because of his size. At just 5-foot-8 and 191 pounds, Washington comes in well below the threshold of 6-foot or above and usually over 200 pounds. 

But New Orleans has made exceptions on that prototype for world-class talent like Olave and former wideout Brandin Cooks. Both of which had world-class speed and Olave was the best route-runner in his class with arguments to finish as the best wideout of his year's group in the pros. 

Washington has speed, though not what many would consider world-class nowadays with his 4.47 40. But his elusiveness with the ball in his hands is absolutely astonishing. 

With Corley ranking No. 2 last year in yards after catch, Washington was atop the list with 710 of his 1,384 receiving yards in 2023 qualifying. His 8.51 RAS crossed the elite threshold. 

The biggest question with Washington is size. But with the success Saints’ wide receivers coach Keith Williams had with Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers (5-foot-9, 182 pounds) coupled with the success assistant wide receivers coach Denarius McGhee had with Houston Texans explosive wideout Tank Dell (5-foot-8, 185 pounds), there is something to be said about challenging the prototype if the talent is right. 

Round projection: Day 3 (Rounds 4-7). The Saints may be able to nab Washington with one of their fifth-round selections or package a pair to move up to take him in the fourth round. 

Honorable mentions:

USC WR Tahj Washington and Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith

Both are very similar to Malik Washington with explosive traits after the catch, but undersized to line up outside full-time. That would make both option slot threats, which could still contribute to the Saints need at the position. Tahj Washington led the class in yards after catch per reception with screens removed in 2023. 

Both players are expected to be Day 3 selections. 

Purdue RB Tyrone Tracy

Nov 18, 2023; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Purdue Boilermakers running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (3) runs

Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Tracy is effective after the catch because he can produce as a running back. He transitioned to the backfield after transferring from Iowa, where he played wide receiver full-time, to Purdue. 

What makes Tracy so intriguing is the true threat he presents as a runner. The ability to hand the ball of to him in earnest is remarkably important when looking for a player to hold a Samuel-like role. A player that is going to challenge a defense from multiple spots has to be productive from everywhere he lines up. Tracy has proven he can be both a runner and receiver and at 5-foot-11 and 209 pounds he packs a good frame for both positions. That versatility should put him squarely in the Saints focus. He even crosses the RAS threshold with his 9.77 score. 

Tracy’s draft stock is climbing as media catches up with the teams. It may take a trade up into rounds 3 or 4 to grab him. Tracy deserves to be a top-100 selection. He has priceless potential in today’s game.