Hilltoppers WR Jared Dangerfield Gets No Respect
By John Sigler
Jared Dangerfield #85‘s career with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers started off explosively. The JUCO transfer ripped off 304 yards and four touchdowns in his first four games on 27-catches. That average of nearly seven receptions, 70-plus yards, and a touchdown through four games came against some solid competition: Bowling Green, Illinois, Middle Tennessee State, and Navy.
More from Saints News
- Are the Saints playoff contenders or pretenders in 2022?
- 3 takeaways from Saints unofficial depth chart ahead of preseason opener
- Saints 2022 Training Camp: Top 5 takeaways from Day 13
- 3 things to know about new Saints QB K.J. Costello
- Kirk Merritt could be a difficult player for the Saints to cut
Dangerfield graduated from Western Kentucky with plenty of skins on the wall. He posted 151-catches through two years to the tune of 1,669-yards and 19-touchdowns in one of the nation’s fastest-paced offenses. If not for the presence of an even more-electric teammate in Taywan Taylor (who went for 86-catches, 1,467-yards, and 17-touchdowns as a junior in 2015) it’s easy to imagine Dangerfield being more productive than he already was.
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 219-pounds
- 10-yard dash: 1.72-seconds
- 40-yard dash: 4.74-seconds
- 3-cone drill: 6.92-seconds
While it would help Dangerfield to be a bit more athletic, he passes all the relevant benchmarks to win in the same ways Marques Colston was able to for nearly a decade. He’s tough and does much of his damage in the middle of the field, but like fellow rookie Michael Thomas #13 he’s able to force defenders to miss; Dangerfield caused 29 whiffed tackles over the last two years, at a rate of one failed tackle every 5.2-touches.
Dangerfield played well as the #2 receiving option at Western Kentucky and has some excellent red zone catching ability. He also brings some impressive special teams traits thanks to his long strides and experience as a blocker on the outside. He doesn’t have the speed to get over the top of cornerbacks, but that’s not the role up for grabs in the offense anyway.
The Saints need a big-bodied wideout with sure hands and a knack for winning in the end zone – that fits Dangerfield to a T.
I’m expecting Dangerfield to separate himself from the pack of undrafted rookies and start competing for practice time with second-year wideouts R.J. Harris #14 and Kyle Prater #17. When all is said and done he could possibly surpass Brandon Coleman #16 as the fourth receiver on the final 53-man roster, but it’s far too soon to have those kinds of expectations. For now, Dangerfield has to prove his worth in this week’s organized team activities.