Taysom Hill to Light Up the Field As Klint Kubiak's New Orleans Saints Offense Will Unlock Potential

After New Orleans Saints OTAs and minicamp, it is clear to see that Taysom Hill is set to be an impactful and consistent presence in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's new offense.

Jun 13, 2023; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (7) passes during minicamp at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

There are few players more exciting in today's NFL than New Orleans Saints offensive weapon Taysom Hill. From quarterback, to the slot, to the backfield and special teams, Hill has been an electrifying presence for the Saints' offense. Beyond his presence has been his production. With 20 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns in the last three years, Hill leads the team in those scoring contributions.

Last year, Hill's role as a pass-catcher developed quickly. He received his career high in targets (40), receptions (33) and receiving yards (291). All while continuing to be a threat at quarterback with his rushing and passing capabilities. In 2024, it looks like Hill's role is set to take yet another step forward with the innovation of new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

All through OTAs and minicamp, Hill was being utilized all over the field. He took his usual snaps as a pass-catcher in-line, in the slot and out wide, but the team added a wrinkle through OTAs in particular. Hill not only took snaps at fullback, which has been seen before, but he also took snaps as the team's lone tailback in some situations and even as the lone back in shotgun formations.

New Orleans moved away from that approach a bit during their three-day minicamp, putting the focus back on him as a pass-catching weapon. But the team is certain to utilize his talents all over the field in 2024, even at quarterback.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen confirmed this emphatically during his media availability following an OTA practice. "We're going to utilize him in that role, absolutely," Allen said when asked about the player's snaps at quarterback. "So start game planning."

The message was clearly delivered to opposing defenses, but the game planning has already started on Airline Drive.

Kubiak looks ready to incorporate Hill as a consistent presence in the team's offense. A welcome change. In the past, there have been games wherein Hill has absolutely taken over but those games were often followed by him barely seeing the field for the next few contests. A curious issue that was typically excused due to "game situation." It looks now like every game situation may be a Hill situation. Meaning a lot more could be on the way for the versatile weapon.

One of Hill's most unforgettable games came in 2022, a home game against the Seattle Seahawks. In that matchup, Hill elevated the Saints to a 39-32 victory by totaling his career highs in rushing yards (112) and rushing touchdowns (3) while adding a 22-yard passing touchdown as well. All of that remarkable momentum and production was then followed by receiving less than 20 snaps in four of the next five games.

Ideally, that will not be a concern in 2024 under Kubiak. Seeing Hill already this integrated into the team's offensive identity is promising. It must carry over to the regular season, but expectations of that being the case should be high. Hill has been a much-needed shot in the arm for the Saints offense when needed, and in 2024 he is looking to be a much more constant fixture.