Grading the A.T. Perry Pick for the Saints

The Saints ended up getting a real gem late in the draft in A.T. Perry, who is a very big and physical receiver that can make contested catches.

John Hendrix | Apr 30, 2023

Grading the A.T. Perry Pick for the Saints /

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New Orleans Saints

We close out our look at Saints draft grades by looking at Wake Forest wide receiver A.T. Perry, who was surprisingly available later in the draft. New Orleans ended up trading away tight end Adam Trautman and their compensatory 7th Round pick to the Broncos to get back into Round 6 to take him.

Grading the A.T. Perry Pick

Wake Forest's A.T. Perry is a strong route-runner who shines as a possession receiver. He can get down the field for you with speed, and had a strong bit of production in college. Perry mentioned that he was disappointed that he didn't get picked sooner, citing some "character stuff" that caused him to fall, which he said that it confused him.

He told us that he's a team first kind of guy. Perry said, "I'm kind of a quiet guy, but when I get in the game I'm smiling, I'm laughing. I'm just out there having fun. Going out there getting the dub with the team."

On Perry, Dennis Allen said, "Big physical receiver. Good transitional route-runner. Productive in college. Has the ability to go up and high-point the ball and make contested catches."

There's always a few prospects that end up falling in the draft, and A.T. Perry was a prime example of that. He had a strong RAS score (9.62), and many analysts, including Mel Kiper Jr., had him as a Day 2 pick. I mocked him at No. 71 for the Saints, and for them to get him where they did is pretty crazy.

This is a considerable pick with insane value based on where he was taken. He has tremendous upside and just needs to work on a few minor things in his game. He's the type of receiver who can climb the depth chart, and will be someone exciting to watch over the next few months. If things line up for him, then he could be no worse than WR4 on the Saints.

Draft Grade: B+

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Published Apr 30, 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