5 receivers the Saints should target in free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft
By Mason Duhon
Receiver prospects for Saints to target in Draft (continued)
Malachi Corley. 2. 2192. MC. . . Wide receiver. 45th overall. Malachi Corley. player
Waiting on a receiver in a loaded wideout class isn't a horrible idea, and using a second-round pick on Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley could pay dividends. The Saints could plug Corley into a role where he gets carries out of the backfield, short screens, and shallow crossing routes.
The benefit here is threefold. Firstly, the Saints get to spend the 14th-overall pick on an offensive lineman like Penn State's Olumuyiwa Fashanu. Corley would also get to create plays with the ball in his hands as a catch-and-run threat without needing to be the best route-runner on the team. Finally, Corley's presence would pull defenders closer to the line of scrimmage, freeing up the speedster Shaheed on the back end. NFL.com's Lance Zeirlein likens him to Deebo Samuel; what coach wouldn't love playing with a chess piece like that?
. Tight end. 491. . Theo Johnson. Theo Johnson. player. TJ. 167th overall. 5
If Allen and Kubiak want to add a big-bodied contested-catch threat to the offense to balance out Corley's smaller size, Johnson would be a solid pick anywhere in the fifth round. He's got imposing size, standing at 6-foot-6 and nearly 260 pounds, and found the end zone seven times last season.
Per NFL.com's Lance Zeirlein, he's a developmental prospect who has room to grow in his run-blocking and picking up yards after the catch. However, some NFL-level coaching could bring out that toughness in him. As a receiver, he does well against defenders who are physical at the line and works through initial contact while running crisp routes that create separation. Rookie tight ends typically take time to catch on, so spending a year in the room alongside fellow athletic tight ends Juwan Johnson and Taysom Hill wouldn't hurt his development.
Honorable mentions:
- Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida — Playmaking do-it-all wideout with great hands; On the lean side
- Tanner McLachlan, TE, Arizona — Athletic pass-catching tight end as a 7th-round swing; Wildcard of a prospect
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