It’s tough to get a read on the New Orleans Saints’ rookie class a year later. Many of their 2022 draft picks missed large chunks of the season with injuries which makes them unknown quantities going into 2023.
But we found an even-keeled take from NFL.com’s Nick Shook, who credited the Saints for hitting big on Chris Olave (saying he “should have received more attention in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race than he did”) while getting solid production out of Alontae Taylor and Rashid Shaheed. It’s enough for the team to earn a B-minus grade despite having gotten no snaps out of their late-round picks D’Marco Jackson (due to injury) and Jordan Jackson (due to underwhelming practice reps).
And as Shook observed, a lot hinges on the Saints’ other first rounder, writing: “Injuries curtailed Trevor Penning’s rookie year, reducing him to a sixth-lineman role before making a start in the final game of the season. The Northern Iowa product needs more time on an NFL gridiron for proper evaluation.”
If Penning can stay healthy in 2023 and meet the high expectations the Saints have set for him, he can do a lot to singlehandedly raise the team’s draft grade. But that feels like a big “if” given the time he missed with foot injuries to start and end his season. He has a lot to prove.
One interesting wrinkle from Shook’s analysis is the consideration given to undrafted free agents, and that’s an area the Saints continue to do well. He pointed to Lewis Kidd as a competent backup along the offensive line, but the real diamond in the rough here is Rashid Shaheed, who totaled 1,058 all-purpose yards as a receiver, runner, and returner on special teams.
Elsewhere around the NFC South: the Atlanta Falcons were also graded a B-minus, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers received a C-plus and the Carolina Panthers brought up the rear with a C-minus,
