The New Orleans Saints hit the jackpot with Deonte Harris last year, and now they may have found gold again with wide receiver Marquez Callaway.
With a plethora of options, the New Orleans Saints went with Marquez Callaway, a speedster out of the University of Tennessee with their last receiver spot. He had three punt return touchdowns during his time with the Volunteers, enough to get him a spot at the Saints camp.
The combination of Callaway being a safety net for another undrafted rookie that took the team by surprise in 2019 and a reliable option at receiver was enough to bring him on the roster.
He beat out players like veteran Bennie Fowler and Emmanuel Butler, a player that seemingly wins MVP of training camp on a yearly basis. They saw the potential in Callaway, and now, it’s starting to pay off.
The 6-foot-2, 204-pound receiver has been able to step up as both a receiver and a returner. He had his first career reception against the Lions in the team’s 14-point comeback victory a week ago.
Then, this past week was his introduction to Saints nation. He caught four passes for 34 yards. Targeted six times, Callaway was given a shot at three- and four-receiver sets with Michael Thomas sidelined the past few games.
While Callaway did help Brees out, giving him a tall option to pass to, he did even more in the return game. He had six punt returns for 69 yards and had another 33-yard return sent back because of a penalty. He also had two kickoff returns as well for 57 yards.
It was impressive what Callaway did against the Justin Herbert-led Los Angeles Chargers, and it’s a huge reason why the Saints were able to come back even after being down 20-3 late in the second quarter.
While Harris will get his spot back, Callaway has done enough to show that he has the potential to be a breakout star, and that will be the type of energy the Saints need to unleash sooner rather than later.