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.

John Hendrix | Apr 29, 2023

Saints Draft A.T. Perry at 195th Overall /

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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.

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Published Apr 29, 2023

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net