The New Orleans Saints have been one of the few big winners during the 2023 NFL offseason. Whenever you can address your biggest need, which was a quarterback for them, it is a big victory. New Orleans was able to sign Derek Carr in free agency after he was released by the Las Vegas Raiders, which has put them back on track in the NFC South.
With the quarterback position now squared away, ownership and the front office can get to work on upgrading the rest of the roster. The Saints did have a few defections during the offseason, as their defensive line and wide receiver depth were hit hard.
Nathan Shepard and Khalen Saunders were signed in free agency to help fill the void along the defensive line, but there hasn’t been any movement yet at wide receiver. Deonte Harty and Marquez Callaway both departed in free agency, leaving the Saints without some key depth pieces.
The team was able to re-sign Michael Thomas, which was a bit of a surprise after many predicted the team would move on from him this offseason. But, the 2023 NFL Draft could provide them the chance to address those needs.
According to Jordan Schultz of The Score, the Saints are set to host prospect Jalin Hyatt tomorrow. Hyatt will be busy with pre-draft visits as he is also meeting with the Dallas Cowboys today.
Hyatt would be an intriguing fit in a Saints offense that has some strong weapons. As a third option behind Chris Olave and Thomas, Hyatt would be afforded many advantageous situations to take advantage of because all of the attention will be on those two players.
His presence as a deep threat would help open up things for everyone else. Hyatt has elite speed and deep ball ability, which will benefit the team greatly. Not only can Carr get the ball downfield, but the running game should open up as well since opposing defenses will have to keep at least one safety away from the line of scrimmage.
The 2022 Biletnikoff winner and consensus All-American led the SEC with 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns. He caught 67 passes as the No. 1 option in the Tennessee Volunteers’ passing game and has a chance to go in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Owning pick No. 29, Hyatt could certainly be in play when the Saints come on the clock. Adding a long-term running mate for Olave would be a good plan for a team that doesn’t know what they will get from Thomas this season after multiple injury-riddled campaigns.
