With MT no longer on the roster and new OC Klint Kubiak installing his new offensive system with the Saints, Rashid Shaheed will be given the opportunity to become the Saints #2 WR and could be the breakout player for 2024. He will have to add some muscle and prove capable of being able to block a bit in order to see more significant snaps than in the past and also develop more of a route tree. We should expect to see him in motion more often and running a variety of pass routes. As of now, the number two wideout spot is his to lose. The Saints found a gem when they signed him as an undrafted rookie in 2022. He had a major knee injury in his final college season and was still recovering early in his rookie season with the Saints.
When he finally got his chance to see action, he made his ability known. He scored TDs on his first and second touches of the ball, one rushing and the other receiving, totaling 1,058 all-purpose yards in limited action his rookie year. He saw 298 offensive snaps over 12 games in 2022, had 28 receptions on 34 targets for 488 yards and 2 TDs and 57 yards rushing on 4 attempts with a TD. HIs production basically doubled last year in his 2nd season where he saw 608 offensive snaps over 15 games in 2023, had 46 receptions on 75 targets for 719 yards and 5 TDs and his all-purpose yardage increased to 1,479. He was named 1st Team All-Pro and named to the Pro Bowl as a returner in 2023. His yards per reception after 2 years is impressive at 16.3 but what most folks don't realize is that while mainly being used as a deep threat, he's been very reliable catching the ball and doesn't drop many passes thrown his way.
Nick and Andrew featured Shaheed on their Saturday Morning Inspection podcast today where their topic was "Saints Have A BREAKOUT Star Emerging". In their discussion they site PFFs Summer of 2024 All Breakout Team and dive a bit deeper into why they think Rashid could be that guy. A Link to the segment as found on YouTube is below:
John Sigler of Saints Wire wrote an article May 20th, 2024 referencing the PFF Summer of 2024 All Breakout Team as well where it can be viewed at saintswire.usatoday.com in which I'm posting an excerpt from it below.
PFF picks Rashid Shaheed as Saints' breakout candidate for 2024
From PFFs Bradley Locker in the article:
Shaheed made the 2023 All-Pro team as a returner, but don’t sleep on his receiving skills. Last year, he earned a 69.4 receiving grade and dropped just four of his 71 targets. He’s also a dynamic threat down the field, with his 99.9 deep receiving grade pacing the position. Having cut ties with longtime star Michael Thomas, the Saints will need new faces to step up next to Chris Olave, and Shaheed has a fast track to do so under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. If Kubiak uses Shaheed more over the middle of the field as well as in motion, he could become a legitimate weapon.
From John Sigler in the article:
You could argue that Shaheed already broke out last season; he finished 10th in all-purpose yards (1,479) and was the only player in the league with 700-plus yards from scrimmage AND returns. As Locker said, he’s a dynamic deep threat with reliable hands. With more opportunities opening up after the team moved on from Thomas, Shaheed could stand to benefit.
With Chris Olave having established himself as the Saints #1 WR over his first two years there's no reason to doubt he will be the Saints number one targeted WR in 2024. With the emergence of Rashid Shaheed as an offensive weapon over the past two years everyone should expect him to be more involved in 2024. In 3 WR sets Kubiak most likely will use him in motion and also in the slot as well as lining up on the outside. He's proven to be a threat running the ball from the jet sweep. I fully expect the Saints will find a way to get Shaheed the ball in space more often than in the past in order to utilize his exceptional speed. I'm expecting Shaheed to be the Saints #2 WR in both receptions and yardage in 2024. With the Saints likely spreading the ball around more in Kubiaks offense it's possible that Shaheed may establish himself as the teams #2 WR without exceeding his numbers from 2023.
Will his number of targets, number of receptions, receiving yardage, total touchdowns, yards per reception, average yards per punt return, all-purpose yardage go up or down in 2024 over 2023?
Now, if were talking Year 1 to Year 2 leaps, Rashid had a huge one. Year 3 should see him become more refined. He worked the slot 20% more in year 2, suggesting a better understanding of the game. He improved his contested catch rate, TD's, yards and catches.
He's the guy I'm expecting to put up big #'s this year IF he can stay healthy. His smaller stature means increased usage opens him up for injuries/time missed.
Still, he's one of the most dynamic weapons we have.