HogsNSaints
ALL-MADDEN TEAM
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As much as I hate the idea of “moving on” after we’re only two weeks removed from one of the greatest travesties in NFL history, looking forward to this offseason I see a major point of emphasis being to take some of the workload off of both Alvin Kamara & Michael Thomas. Ginn is aging and I think Tre’Quan Smith is a natural replacement for his role, albeit it a more low-volume but (hopefully) efficient role.
What I think it is necessary for the Saints to find this offseason is a higher volume, middle of the field option. As deep as my affection for MT & AK is, the true path to success and longevity for this offense will come by taking some of the pressure off of them to produce so much.
That leads to this year’s draft, where I have counted 15 WRs so far that I would designate a top 4 round grade to. The guy that I want to really hammer home right now after watching quite a bit of film is AJ Brown from Ole Miss. This guy would’ve unanimously been a round 1 projected guy and nothing this season from a production standpoint should have deterred that. People are just building the case for guys like N’Keal Harry, Marquise Brown, JJ Artega-Whiteside, and his Ole Miss teammate, DK Metcalf.
But Brown is a true modern slot, that has the versatility to excel in the Saints offense. He’ll likely measure between 6’1 & 6’2, weighing roughly 215 pounds. He’s quick, and fools defenders in and out of breaks. He runs over the middle fearlessly, something I think we lacked this season from the WRs not named Thomas. Again, production and talent is undoubtedly there. What could slide him into territory for New Orleans is the fact that this class is stacked full of talented WRs, as well as the fact that he is primarily a slot guy, and teams often prefer boundary WRs with those top picks.
What I think it is necessary for the Saints to find this offseason is a higher volume, middle of the field option. As deep as my affection for MT & AK is, the true path to success and longevity for this offense will come by taking some of the pressure off of them to produce so much.
That leads to this year’s draft, where I have counted 15 WRs so far that I would designate a top 4 round grade to. The guy that I want to really hammer home right now after watching quite a bit of film is AJ Brown from Ole Miss. This guy would’ve unanimously been a round 1 projected guy and nothing this season from a production standpoint should have deterred that. People are just building the case for guys like N’Keal Harry, Marquise Brown, JJ Artega-Whiteside, and his Ole Miss teammate, DK Metcalf.
But Brown is a true modern slot, that has the versatility to excel in the Saints offense. He’ll likely measure between 6’1 & 6’2, weighing roughly 215 pounds. He’s quick, and fools defenders in and out of breaks. He runs over the middle fearlessly, something I think we lacked this season from the WRs not named Thomas. Again, production and talent is undoubtedly there. What could slide him into territory for New Orleans is the fact that this class is stacked full of talented WRs, as well as the fact that he is primarily a slot guy, and teams often prefer boundary WRs with those top picks.