Here’s Tulane RB Tyjae Spears at today’s NFL Combine. He says playing for the #Saints would be a “dream come true.” pic.twitter.com/ProyQ6QeRS
— Ross Jackson (@RossJacksonNOLA) March 4, 2023
Former Tulane running back Tyjae Spears may have put himself on the map for many with his 4-touchdown performance in the Green Wave’s 2023 Cotton Bowl win over the USC Trojans, but as a New Orleans native, he’s been endeared by fans in New Orleans for quite some time. That is not exclusive to the fanbase either. When Saints vice president and assistant general manager of college personnel Jeff Ireland spoke with media at the Senior Bowl, he said that he personally attended two of Spears’ games in the 2022 season.While the Saints are keeping an eye on the Ponchatoula, La. native, Spears has his eye right back on them.
“You know I really like the Saints,” Spears told me during his media session at the NFL Scouting Combine. “That would be a dream come true. But wherever the opportunity presents itself at but I have been having real good interactions with the Saints. I had an informal (meeting with the team) and it went really well.”
Spears said that the Saints also made it clear that they will have further contact throughout the offseason. While his meeting in Indianapolis was informal, with the Tulane back living in New Orleans, it won’t be a task for them to continue their contact.
It is clear to see where Spears would be a good fit staying in New Orleans. He highlighted Saturday that pass protection is a big part of his game in which he takes great pride. His ability there and as a pass-catcher allow him to be an asset that opposing defenses must account for in every area of the game.
“You’ve got to take pride in it,” Spears said about pass protection. “Football is a game of separation. How you’re going to separate yourself. Like, all of (the running back at this year’s Combine) can run the ball. Most of these guys can catch out the backfield. But what are you going to do to separate yourself?” Being that the Saints utilize their running backs in a multitude of ways, Spears’ approach to the game is one that is a natural fit for his hometown team.
His 1,581 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns in 2022 are hard to miss. While he is not the biggest back in this year’s draft class, but he ranked No. 3 among all running backs in the Group of Five in yards after contact (1,052) adding 63 missed tackles forced along the way, per Pro Football Focus.
With the reasonable expectation that veteran running back Alvin Kamara will miss time in 2023 following the resolution of his ongoing legal situation, a back with the versatile skills set like Spears would be in for a large and immediate role. Upon Kamara’s eventual concern, it is easy to imagine the excitement the two could generate. Running back is a big need for the Saints’ offseason and Spears could provide them with exactly what they are looking for while fulfilling a lifelong dream in the process.
