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The New Orleans Saints knew they needed to upgrade their wide receiver room this offseason, and while they didn't make any moves in free agency or the trade market, they got active in the draft.
Jordyn Tyson was a first-round pick, and then down the board, they added Bryce Lance and Barion Brown to give Tyler Shough three new weapons alongside Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele in the offense.
However, as ESPN's Aaron Schatz identified, there is still a need for another WR this offseason. But, how?
"What the Saints are missing is more about an archetype rather than a position," Schatz writes. "Their top receivers are all tall players who specialize in playing outside."
The Saints need to find a new WR who can fit into what Schatz described as an "elusive slot receiver" archetype, which is something that this team is still missing after the draft.
Saints need to find elusive slot WR despite adding 3 WRs in draft
The Saints have Olave, Tyson, Vele, Lance, and Brown as their top WR options for this upcoming season. None can fill this role that Schatz described in the form of a smaller slot receiver.
Mason Tipton, one of the team's depth WRs, can fit this role. But, he's been seldom used in his career, with just 76 yards receiving last year on 11 catches.
None of the other receivers on the roster can fill in such a role, so the Saints now, at least according to Schatz, need to find another option to be a small, shifty slot receiver.
There are some options they could target in free agency that fit the bill. A flyer on Tyreek Hill could be fun, though there's a lot of uncertainty about his injury.
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Deebo Samuel is 6-foot-0, 215 pounds, and could work in such a role. 5-foot-11 Curtis Samuel could be a nice addition to fill this role as well among the WRs still a free agent.
Hunter Renfrow, Sterling Shepard, and Scotty Miller are among the other slot receiver types the Saints could find at the bottom of free agency at the WR position.
And while they could scour the trade market for a slot receiver archetype, the Saints would be better off adding someone in free agency than trying to move a draft pick or player for a slot WR.
This isn't such a dire need that the Saints have to spend premium resources on it. If they go into 2026 with their current WR room, it should be okay, even if there's not an "elusive" slot receiver.
It may be a need according to Schatz, but it's not one that the Saints should have to worry about. Edge rusher to replace Cameron Jordan is the much more prominent need if he doesn't return to New Orleans.
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