Could the New Orleans Saints swoop for a wide receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft? Although uncertainty at the quarterback position post-Drew Brees means the Saints have some difficult decisions ahead of next spring, wide receiver projects to be one of the team’s biggest needs. Thankfully, there are plenty of options available in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Why should the New Orleans Saints target a wide receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft?
Life after Brees was never going to be easy. The record-setting quarterback has been the driving force of the Saints offense since his arrival in the Big Easy in 2006. Whoever took over the mantle, whether it be Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, or even the recently acquired Ian Book, there were always going to be potential growing pains under center for the Saints.
However, those growing pains have been somewhat inflamed by the available wide receiver weapons. For years, Brees was able to lean on the reliable and productive Michael Thomas. The former second-rounder out of Ohio State has caught 77.6% of his passes in New Orleans, contributing 5,950 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns during his tenure.
However, Thomas has been missing since mid-2020. An ankle injury suffered last season required offseason surgery. A setback with the surgery — and a reported additional injury — ruled him out for the remainder of the season. His outlook remains unclear, and who’s to say that Thomas returns to his effective best when he comes back next year?
While battling a quarterback carousel, the remaining wide receiver group has struggled to step up and match Thomas’ production. Deonte Harris leads the room with 523 receiving yards, while Marquez Callaway has a team-high 6 touchdowns. Beyond those two, the most productive pass catcher has been running back Alvin Kamara. The addition of former Chicago Bears flop Kevin White is a testament to the Saints’ desperation at the position.
Wide receivers the Saints could target in the 2022 NFL Draft
Wide receiver clearly projects to be one of the biggest needs for the Saints in the 2022 NFL Draft. As we’ll continue to reiterate, the quarterback situation has been far from ideal this fall. However, the Saints ranking stone cold last in completion percentage this season isn’t just on the multitude of men under center.
No receiver on the roster has been able to replicate Thomas’ pass-catching prowess in terms of catch rate. Kamara is the only pass catcher with over 10 targets that has caught over 70% of his targets. Harris, who has a similar depth of target as Thomas, has only caught 58.5% of his targets this season.
The Saints’ need to add a WR in the 2022 NFL Draft class is clear. However, it’s not as simple as adding a pass catcher and hoping they stick. Furthermore, the Saints have a very distinct type when adding a wide receiver in the draft.
Ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, Ross Jackson of the Canal Street Chronicles pointed out that the Saints have some clear preferences at the position. Of the previous nine wide receivers New Orleans has selected in the draft, just one was under 6’0″, and only two weighed under 200 pounds. Sure enough, they added 6’1″, 215-pound Kawaan Baker in the seventh round in last year’s draft.
Round 1 wide receiver options for the Saints
The Saints have used just three first-round selections on a WR since the turn of the millennium. However, as it projects to be their biggest need in the 2022 NFL Draft, these wide receivers would be exceptional additions to the Saints’ pass-catching group. We’ve considered Sean Payton’s height/weight preference, but also take into account that some players provide a Brandin Cooks-type threat as an outlier at the position.
Garrett Wilson, Ohio State
There’s every chance that the Saints return to the Ohio State WR well in the 2022 NFL Draft. Garrett Wilson is on course to be the WR1 of this class, with his combination of nuanced route running, after-the-catch threat, and catch-point combativeness making him a three-level threat.
At 6’0″ and 188 pounds, he’s just shy of the weight requisite. But what he lacks in bulk he makes up for with physicality, particularly in contested-catch situations.
Treylon Burks, Arkansas
For some analysts, Arkansas WR Treylon Burks is pushing Wilson hard for the WR1 crown of the 2022 NFL Draft class. Burks is a unique weapon as the wide receiver position. At 6’3″ and 225 pounds, he has the physically imposing frame to act as a boundary threat in contested-catch situations. However, he’s a deceptively athletic freak who can create yardage out of the slot, after the catch, and even from the backfield.
Jameson Williams, Alabama
He may have started his career at Ohio State, but Jameson Williams has established himself as one of the best wide receivers in this 2022 NFL Draft class in his sole season with Alabama.
A devastating speed merchant, Williams possesses 4.3-second 40-yard dash speed in a 6’2″ frame. He’s more than just a speed threat, however. Williams has impressive body control, ball tracking, and pass-catching skills as a dynamic game-changer.
Potential Round 2 wide receiver options
If the Saints don’t use their first-round pick on a WR in the 2022 NFL Draft, all is not lost. In a deeply talented class at the pass catcher position, there are still some exceptionally talented players available in Round 2.
David Bell, Purdue
Purdue pass catcher David Bell has provided some of the highlight reel catches of the 2021 college football season. At 6’2″ and 205 pounds, he matches the wide receiver profile that the Saints have routinely aspired to draft. He may lack the true top speed of someone like Williams, but he has enough to take the top off a defense. Furthermore, his body control and physicality at the catch point are unparalleled in this 2022 NFL Draft class.
Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama
After drafting Baker out of South Alabama, you can be sure that the Saints had their eyes on his Jaguars teammate last year. Jalen Tolbert has been one of the most productive pass catchers in college football over the last two years. He’s a three-level threat who can create separation with athleticism and win contested catches with size. Tolbert can be the dangerous weapon from this 2022 NFL Draft class that the Saints so desperately need.
Late-round gold for the Saints
It would be outrageous if the Saints made it into the later rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft without selecting a wide receiver. However, if they did, there’s some late-round gold to be had at the position. Additionally, they may choose to double up at the position if they already used an early-round pick on a pass catcher.
Erik Ezukanma, Texas Tech
If the Saints fail to land Burks in Round 1, they could always meet their needs with the player that I recently referred to as “Treylon Burks lite.”
There’s nothing lightweight about Texas Tech wide receiver Erik Ezukanma, however. At 6’3″ and 220 pounds, Ezukanma fits the physical requisite the Saints look for. He’s also got long levers that snag the ball out of the sky with apparent ease. Misused and injured during the 2021 season, Ezukanma could prove a steal in the mid-late rounds.
Alec Pierce, Cincinnati
An unsung hero for the Cincinnati Bearcats in their run to the College Football Playoff, wide receiver Alec Pierce is an under-the-radar prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. He possesses impressive speed and route-running crispness for a 6’3″, 213-pound pass catcher. Naturally, his size gives him an advantage in contested-catch situations, but he also exhibits impressive ball-tracking skills and strong hands at the catch point.
Jerreth Sterns, Western Kentucky
For all their 6’0″ and 200-plus-pound receivers, there’s an outlier at the position for the Saints. Cooks was just 5’10” and 189 pounds coming out of Oregon State but had consecutive 1,000-yard seasons for the Saints before being traded to the New England Patriots.
Western Kentucky wide receiver Jerreth Sterns would certainly be an outlier. He’s only 5’9″ but weighs in a little heavier than Cooks at 195 pounds. Nevertheless, he’s an explosive WR threat who can create yardage after the catch easily with elusiveness. Sterns also showcases exemplary pass-catching and route-running ability. Furthermore, his season statistics are eerily similar to Cooks’ final season with Oregon State.