@Saints on X
By Ross Jackson
METAIRIE, La. – The New Orleans Saints held their final day of rookie minicamp on Saturday, maintaining the strong pace that they established from Friday’s work. While there were some highlight moments on the field, it was an absence that immediately created a widespread reaction. However, the Saints calmed some concerns when head coach Kellen Moore took the podium.
Here are the biggest stories coming out of the final practice of rookie minicamp.
WR Jordyn Tyson Not Present, But No Need To Fret
The Saints’ first-round pick wasn’t spotted during Saturday’s practice. The wideout has been working to recover from a hamstring injury throughout the pre-draft process, so the concern was that something might have happened on Friday that re-aggravated the injury or created a new issue for the talented pass-catcher.
Fortunately, the miss was nothing more than a part of the Saints’ maintenance plan for Tyson, Moore explained.
“No, no,” Moore said when asked whether Tyson was injured in Friday’s practice. “Just similar for these guys. We finally get our hands on these guys, they’ve been through a lot. Whether injuries last year, offseason training and all that sort of stuff. We just put these guys in our system. Similar to last year, you probably saw rookies who were in and out of different activities and so very similar to a number of these guys that didn’t participate.”
When asked if the day was a previously scheduled absence, the head coach confirmed that it was simply a part of the plan for Tyson to see a rest day as he continues his recovery and acclimation process.
Tyson also said after his Friday practice that he came out unscathed apart from one minor inconvenience.
“I feel good,” he said. “A little blister on the bottom of my foot from the wet heat out here, but I’m fine.”
It appears Saints fans can rest easy until the first-round pick hits the field later in May for OTAs. It is expected that the rest schedule will continue for Tyson to make sure he’s ultimately ready to go for training camp with little to no risk.
WR Barion Brown Produced Highlight of the Day
With a vertical route down the left sideline, the sixth-round speedster won over the top and hauled in a diving deepball from tryout quarterback Braylon Braxton. Brown’s win showed off a couple of promising traits. Most impressively, his fantastic deep speed. But that’s been an obvious piece of his game for some time. The catch also showed off his ability to track passes in the air and the intangible desire to get to the ball with toughness with his diving attempt.
After securing the ball before it hit the ground, Brown was also able to shoot up and pick up more yards after catch with defenders giving chase. Even in a non-contact environment, it was obvious that this play would have put the Saints’ offense deep into the red zone.
TE Oscar Delp Shows Leadership
Usually in rookie minicamp it’s the tryout veterans and returning practice squad players that are easily identified as leaders on the field. On Saturday, one rookie stood out for his willingness to step into that role while another player was struggling.
Tryout tight end McCallan Castles has a tough pass-catching day that included several drops and some clear frustration. At one point, after dropping a pass, Delp approached Castles, gave him a pat on the shoulder and appeared to offer some encouraging words. On the next route in the drill, Castles reeled in his pass.
Lagniappe
- The Saints maintained their up-tempo pre-snap pace from Friday.
- Cornerbacks Jayden Price, TJ Hall and DaShawn Jones were among those getting some work in the slot.
- Brown and wide receiver Mekhi Mews were among those tasked with fielding punts.
- Along with Tyson, kicker Younghoe Koo, defensive tackle Christen Miller, running back CJ Donaldson and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris were not seen.
- Miller signed his rookie deal before practice began.
- Additional standouts included wide receivers Kaleb Blaha and Brock Rochsteiner along with Jones on the defensive side.
More New Orleans Saints
