Second Year Saints Are Ready For Big Leaps
Often times a player's second year in the NFL comes with the foreboding of the dreaded "sophomore slump." But for the New Orleans Saints, the roster is loaded with Year 2 players that could take a giant step up to the next level of their game. The headliners for the 2023 season amongst this group are without a doubt wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
Nov 20, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) celebrates his third quarter touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams with Rashid Shaheed at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
They join a group of second-year players like left tackle Trevor Penning, cornerback Alontae Taylor, linebacker D'Marco Jackson and safety Smoke Monday who could all grow into expanded roles and visibility this year. But the elements that separate Olave and Shaheed from the pack are simple: position, speed and big-play ability.
Penning and Taylor have the runway ahead of them to step into larger responsibilities should all go well in camp, without a doubt. But the speedster wideouts have a golden-brick road leading to potential stardom.
The NFL loves its passing game and the Saints receivers are the perfect prototypes for the league. They are a pair of big plays waiting to happen, field-stretching threats with elite speed. Olave was the No. 6 receiver in Next Gen Stats' targeted air yards metric with 14.1 among qualifying wide receivers and tight ends. That pairs well with quarterback Derek Carr's arm and ability to push the ball downfield.
Jan 1, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (89) during warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Shaheed did not qualify for the Next Gen Stats metric (required 45 targets), but Pro Football Focus (PFF) lists him with an average depth of target of 11.6 yards. PFF also ranks the speedy wideout No. 3 among receivers with at least 30 targets last year with 2.59 yards per route run. He was also tied as the No. 5 wideout in yards per catch (17.4) among the same group.
Both Olave and Shaheed have every bit of the DNA needed to take the league by storm. And now they have another quarterback who can maximize it with a healthy track record. The receiver tandem will also benefit from having top pass-catcher Michael Thomas back to start the season, which should open up even more opportunities for them early.
Among the group of promising young players on the Saints roster, these two have both the most hype and the highest of expectations. Mostly because they expect so much from themselves. With Penning, Taylor, Jackson and Monday have a lot of opportunity ahead of them as well, Olave and Shaheed are already on their way.
