[jwplayer ZTmiyNOw-ThvAeFxT]
Wide receiver prospects remain the trendy pick for the New Orleans Saints in NFL mock drafts following last week’s combine in Indianapolis, with NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah connecting the team with Arizona State wideout Brandon Aiyuk. Jeremiah is a fan of Aiyuk’s ability to pick up yards after the catch, which he speculates could be featured well in the Saints offense.
That’s difficult to disagree with. While Aiyuk is currently seen as a fringe prospect to be selected in the first round, that speaks more to the depth and quality of this draft class than any flaws in his scouting report. Aiyuk was held out of Senior Bowl practices with a core muscle injury, but he completed athletic testing at the combine and put on a show.
Tipping the sales at 6-foot-flat and 205 pounds, Aiyuk sets himself apart with a remarkable catch radius — his wingspan measures in at 80 inches, just shy of the 81-inch wingspan boasted by Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins, who stands nearly 6-foot-4. For added context, Michael Thomas measured in with a 78-inch wingspan when he came out of the college ranks.
That expansive catch radius allows Aiyuk to compete on off-target passes, giving him opportunities to make a play that opponents may underestimate or not expect. And as Jeremiah alluded to, he’s a terrific threat after the catch. He averaged 10.9 yards after the catch per the Pro Football Focus draft guide, forcing 14 missed tackles on just 65 catches. That raw speed and lower-body strength carried through into Aiyuk’s combine testing; he timed the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds exactly, and placed inside the top six competitors in both the vertical jump (40 inches) and the broad jump (128 inches).
He has the tools to help the Saints fill the role vacated by Willie Snead a few years ago, as their dynamic slot receiver. While Cameron Meredith’s body was too broken down to give him a real shot at it, the carousel of other candidates (ranging from Austin Carr to Dez Bryant and Brandon Marshall, as well as Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Krishawn Hogan) has been uninspiring.
Aiyuk specifically asked the Arizona State coaching staff to let him run more routes from the slot in his senior year, and that was reflected in his alignment. Per the PFF Draft guide, Aiyuk ran 102 slot snaps (out of 642 total) in 2019 after running just 26 snaps (of 402) from the slot back in 2018. He correctly diagnosed that his best shot at making a career in the NFL will come from the slot, and that’s something the Saints should keep in mind on draft day.
[vertical-gallery id=29377]