The New Orleans Saints recently signed themselves a new Punter in Ryan Wright. Born and raised in California, Wright is actually already familiar with the New Orleans area.
He played his college ball with the Green Wave over at Tulane University for four years form 2018-2021. One of the premier players for the school, when he graduated, he had sole possession of the all-time career punting yards average with 44.5. Wright would set another record his senior season, with a season average of 47.5 yards per punt, the highest single-season average in school history.
There's more he's familiar with than just the city. During his time at Tulane, he also had encounters with Saints long snapper Zach Wood. "...He would come out here with Thomas (Morstead) and Wil (Lutz) and get some work in, so we go way back," Wright said in an interview with WGNO's Meagan Glover. "I would warm him up a little bit and play some catch with him back when I was a freshman here, and it’s just so cool that I get to be a teammate with him now.”
The Saints hope to end their punting woes with Ryan Wright
For the past few years now, the Saints have struggled to find a consistent punter. They've really struggled there ever since releasing Thomas Morstead, with Blake Gilikin providing minimal relief until his own release. Since then, the Saints have had a different punter each season, a pattern that they hope stops with Ryan Wright.
With what he's done so far in his career, they might be able to pull it off. In his four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, he has an average net punt yardage of 42.4, which would put him in the tops of the NFL nearly every year. Wright is also coming off a career year, where he was top three in the league in terms of net punt average, with 44.5. Additionally, he was also seventh in the NFL in terms of total yards per punt with 49.
Good thing that Wright is already familiar with the man who will be snapping him the ball. He and Zach Wood, along with kicker Charlie Smyth, have also already gotten a head start on the offseason workouts at the punter's old stomping grounds: Yulam Stadium. "It's amazing, and honestly, what a surreal moment to get my first session in with Zach and Charlie out here on the home field," he said to Glover. "it’s just so awesome that I get to come back and punt in this stadium."