5 Saints players who provided hope for the future during the 2022 season

The 2022 regular season was filled with ups and downs for the New Orleans Saints but things have gotten better over the past few weeks. Winning has certainly helped with that, as the black and gold have ripped off three straight wins and are now 7-9 on the year.

While there have been a lot of disappointments in the 2022 season, there's been a lot of good too. These five players have truly given the New Orleans Saints hope for the future moving forward.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference

Chris Olave

The Saints spent one of their two first-round picks on Ohio State's Chris Olave to help bolster their wide receiver corps and he has done just that! The rookie has 67 receptions for 982 yards and three touchdowns through 15 games this year and is just 18 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season.

After what the Saints went through at the wide receiver position last season, having Olave around was a breath of fresh air, especially when both Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry didn't pan out this season. Olave was always making big catches and helping Andy Dalton out on key plays.

With the fifth-year options that first-round picks often get, the Saints likely have Olave for another four years and that's a great sign for the future.