Patrick McAvoy of Sports Illustrated said that the New Orleans Saints should take a chance on veteran wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. In actuality, the Saints should avoid making unnecessary moves for the former All-Pro wide receiver.
To start off, there’s the fact that he is still a part of the San Francisco 49ers, which adds a wrench into things. Giving away draft capital is not something New Orleans should be in the business of, even if it is for a late-round pick as McAvoy suggests. Additionally, Aiyuk hasn’t played a football game in over a year due to the tear of his ACL, MCL, and meniscus. On top of all that, he and the 49ers have had issues since the contract was signed. That's not what you want to bring into a rising culture.
All of that's not to say that the Saints don't need another star wide receiver; that goes without question. In fact, it’s one of the most important things they need to address this offseason. That makes the upcoming draft in April even more crucial.
The Saints need to draft a wide receiver in the NFL Draft
The Saints definitely have a need for another star wide receiver. Chris Olave, the team's top receiver with 1,163 yards, had a healthy lead on the next guy in terms of receiving yards. That guy would be Rashid Shaheed with 499, and he didn't even finish the season in New Orleans. You would have to look at Devaughn Vele, who has 293 receiving yards, as the next active Saints wide receiver closest to Olave.
That player the team needs really might already be on the roster, as Vele had 81.5% of his total receiving yards in the last four weeks of the season. He also did that while catching 73% of his targets. The production is good, but there's still the need for more consistency before confidence should placed on him as a great complementary piece.
Along with Vele, Mason Tipton, Trey Palmer and Ja'Lynn Polk fill out the room. They haven't solidified themselves as anything more than potential. That all still suggests that the Saints should look to add another receiver this April.
The top candidates this year, such as Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate, or Jordan Tyson, just have a more likely chance than the current wide receivers to be that next guy. It's also a deep receiving class this year, meaning that there'll undoubtedly be plenty more to choose from in the later rounds as well, meaning that the Saints don't have to push the issue on day one.