Jordyn Tyson was arguably the most dynamic wide receiver in this year’s draft class, but health concerns affected his draft stock. He missed several games during his final college season due to hamstring injuries in both legs, and the lingering effects kept him from running the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and broad jump at the NFL Combine.
Despite that, the New Orleans Saints selected Tyson with the eighth overall pick and are taking a cautious approach. Throughout OTAs, the star rookie was limited, and he will be limited at minicamp as well.
Why the Saints’ Cautious Handling of Tyson Could Pay Off By September
It was reported today that Tyson will be limited in minicamp due to a hamstring issue. Although his hamstring history is worth monitoring, this is more in line with what the Saints have likely planned since drafting him.
Rather than pushing through a soft-tissue issue in June and risking an aggravation that could cost him training camp, the Saints are prioritizing Tyson’s availability in September, going all in the offseason.
“Kellen Moore said Jordyn Tyson and Christen Miller will have a similar workload during mandatory minicamp as they had during OTAs,” Saints beat reporter Matthew Paras wrote on X.
When healthy, Tyson should immediately slot in as the No. 2 option alongside Chris Olave, giving second-year quarterback Tyler Shough a legitimate one-two punch on the outside. Tyson, who caught 158 passes for 2,282 yards and 22 touchdowns across his college career, has the potential to be a WR1 himself, but it will take time for him to get his legs under him.
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Saints head coach Kellen Moore knows how to deploy a high-end receiver tandem after coordinating A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl 59-winning offense.
Olave’s route-running precision, paired with Tyson’s contested-catch ability and after-the-catch explosiveness, could give New Orleans a combination that keeps the Saints competitive in an NFC South division where three teams finished 8-9 a season ago.
However, the Saints’ top priority is keeping Tyson healthy, so we may not see him fully participate in practices until training camp, when the team is expected to gradually increase his workload.
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According to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Saints posted an impact score of 68.0 and ranked 26th in the league last season. However, they have the pieces to potentially field a top-10 offense this year.
Not only Tyson, but the addition of Travis Etienne Jr. and expectations that Shough will get better in his second season, the Saints are well-positioned to make a significant leap and make some noise in the NFC.
