The New Orleans Saints are wrapping up a losing season but have something to be happy about in the development of their rookies. Chris Olave is deservedly the big name as he approaches a 1,000-yard season but two other rookies, cornerback Alontae Taylor and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, have also been very promising.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen is extremely happy with the development of Shaheed and Taylor, which he says is flying under the radar, per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.
“There’s been some really good growth out of some young players,” Allen said, via ESPN. “None of you guys knew who Rashid Shaheed was when he first showed up. And for him to develop the way that he has, has been outstanding. I know that when we took Alontae Taylor in the second round, there were a lot of people that said ‘What are we doing?’ And watch his growth. So, yeah, it’s awesome to see these young guys grow up and develop, and they still have a long way to go, but that’s what this is about.”
Shaheed has become a solid return man and big-play threat for the Saints, ranking first in yards per reception with 18.2 (excluding Kevin White, who has only two catches) and third in receiving yards per game at 41.3 across 11 games. Especially with Michael Thomas once again missing most of the season, the emergence of the undrafted wideout has been super important.
Meanwhile, Taylor has a team-leading 11 passes defended in just 12 games. He was taken with the 49th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft and could emerge as a key piece of the Saints secondary alongside Marshon Lattimore and Tyrann Mathieu. This season might not have been very good for the Saints but their future has gotten even brighter.
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