Undrafted to Unguardable
The Last Year Vs This Coming Year:
Taking a look back at wide receiving group at the start of last season, it is amazing that Winston and Co were able to start as hot as they did. The Saints were able to reach 5-2 before Winston suffered a season-ending ACL tear and MCL damage Week 8 against his former team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The year started with both Michael Thomas and Tre'Quan Smith out, but somehow Winston found someone not named Alvin Kamara to throw to. I would be willing to bet a Superbowl ring that the average NFL fan would not know who Marquez Callaway was, and he was a WR1. Even looking over at the TE position, it felt like we had no one someone outside of the Who Dat Nation would recognize. While Winston did not throw over 250 yards but one time in his 6 games prior to being injured in week 8, he had a near 60% completion percentage, and came pretty close to a 5:1 Touchdown/Interception ratio. Winston did this with a WR Core that only had one guy who was drafted in Ty Montgomery. Let's take a look at the then and now (predicted) depth charts:
2021:
WR1 Marquez Callaway, Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Chris Hogan
WR2 Deonte Harty, Ty Montgomery
2022:
WR1 Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, Marquez Callaway
WR2 Jarvis Laundry, Tre'Quan Smith, Deonte Harty
Big Difference:
Needless to say, the lineup will look quite different. The Saints will still have Alvin Kamara out of the backfield, with a healthy dose of Mark Ingram II with capable hands. Add in the fact that Trautman at TE who is primed for a breakout year with a consistent QB under center and Taysom Hill getting his share of snaps at TE as well. Then, and THEN you have to account for a WR group that now has our starting WR 1 and 2 at the bottom of the depth charts for their respective positions? Insane, and personally to say I am "excited" is an undersell. I cannot wait to see how these guys all make an impact on the field.
This article or depth chart prediction is not a knock at Harty or Callaway at all. I personally believe they can still absolutely shine in their own right. Callaway showed strides of potential and can possibly edge out time against Tre'Quan. Harty has deadly speed, so he will still see a lot of time at PR/KR but there will most certainly be some packages he will excel in with the bomb of an arm Winston has. I felt like the biggest question mark going into the 2021 season was not necessarily Winston and his ability to be QB1, but who the heck was he going to throw to? So I am happy to see the Saints make the necessary adjustments with not only drafting what appears to be a great pick in Olave, but going after the hometown favorite in Jarvis Landry as well. At the end of the year, Winston should look like an MVP candidate with the options he has to dish the ball out to week after week.
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