Saints Draft A.T. Perry at 195th Overall

The Saints traded Adam Trautman to the Broncos to get back into the 6th Round to take Wake Forest wide receiver A.T. Perry.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Apr 29, 2023 4:37 PM EDT

In this story:

New Orleans Saints

The Saints have traded tight end Adam Trautman to the Broncos, which is probably the bigger story here. However, New Orleans sent the veteran and their 7th Round pick (No. 257) to get No. 195 overall from Denver. They used it to take Wake Forest wide receiver A.T. Perry, who was surprisingly still available.

QUICK THOUGHTS: Perry was my wide receiver of this draft, and I had him mocked at No. 71. It's interesting to see how far he fell, but he is a big possession receiver who get downfield. He had some issues with drops, but he's an exciting player who had a lot of production at Wake Forest. He has tremendous upside and can shine at the next level with great coaching. Enter Kodi Burns. Perry is a natural receiver who has a strong route tree, and can be a nice physical weapon for Derek Carr.

Draft Profile Notes (from Bob Rose)

Perry has a long frame and doesn't shy away from physical play, but he's lean and will need to add more upper-body bulk against NFL corners. He's also a long-strider that doesn't explode off the line or out of his breaks, giving opportunity for defensive backs to close on his routes.
Perry has great hands, but doesn't always extend to snatch a throw and will let it get to his body. This has led to a number of drops in key situations, but can be fixed with coaching. He has a tremendous wingspan, but doesn't always adjust well to off-target throws.
Ideally built as an X-receiver, Perry also has the speed to beat corners deep. His long stride eats up a cushion quickly, allowing him to get coverage turned around on a break. He uses his body well to shield defenders and battles press coverage through the entire play.

Assuming nothing else happens, the Saints are done with the 2023 NFL Draft.