The New Orleans Saints were able to bring Michael Thomas back into the fold for the 2023 season, giving them three solid options at wide receiver when you add Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. If you’ve ever watched a Saints season, you know that’s not enough.
Enter Wake Forest standout A.T. Perry. The Demon Deacons receiver brings something that Olave and Shaheed don’t, and provides a backup option for Thomas with his size. He stands at a tall 6-foot-3 1/2 without sacrificing much athleticism. He finished at a 9.24 on the Relative Athleticism Score scale after running a 4.47-second 40-yard dash and posting an 11-foot broad jump. He isn’t a perfect comparison to Thomas, however, as he’s taller yet lighter, faster, and more explosive.
Of course, he was a team captain and multi-sport athlete in high school. Those are some important factors that the Saints usually like to look for. In his last two seasons at Wake Forest, Perry excelled and looked like one of the best receivers in the country. He had back-to-back thousand-yard seasons both with double-digit touchdown catches.
He’s not a perfectly polished receiver, which is why the Saints could get him at a great value on the second day of the draft. He has fantastic upside, with time to learn in the offense, but also some immediate situational production. New Orleans finished near the bottom of the league in red zone touchdown percentage, Perry would provide a great option as a rookie in that part of the field. Options of Thomas, Olave, Taysom Hill, Juwan Johnson, Alvin Kamara and A.T. Perry in the red zone would have to lead to better success this season.
