After getting their first-round pick back from his hamstring injury last week, the New Orleans Saints are expected to see an even larger role ahead for wide receiver Jordyn Tyson this week against the Carolina Panthers.
Tyson took 18 snaps with the Saints in their 23-22 win over the Cleveland Browns. He ran 17 routes, and 16 had him on the field at the same time as star wideout Chris Olave.
The Saints’ heavy 11-personnel (three wide receiver) use has them ranked No. 4 in the NFL at 69.1%. That provides a nice opportunity for Tyson to continue to get worked into the offense and share the field with other dynamic pass-catching threats.
Their upcoming opponent, the Panthers, has tied for the seventh-fewest receiving yards surrendered to tight ends, leaving a lot of work to be done by the wide receivers in the passing game.
The Panthers are the No. 28 ranked rushing defense as well, which could allow the Saints to run the ball effectively enough to set up play action opportunities.
Both elements of the Carolina defense could mean big things for Tyson and Olave throughout the matchup. It’s not a given that the rookie sees 90-plus percent of snaps in the game, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his workload nearly double from last week’s sub-20 snap opportunity.
Nor would it be a surprise to see his route tree open up more chances for him to have an impact downfield. Last week, all four of his receptions came in the short area of the field, allowing him to gain 30 receiving yards with 17 coming after the catch.
Expect that target share to now include passes in the intermediate areas and perhaps even deep downfield. Tyson was particularly effective in the 10-19 yard range downfield from the line of scrimmage in college, an area that quarterback Tyler Shough and head coach Kellen Moore found a lot of success attacking last year. It’s part of what made Tyson such an easy fit for the Saints in the draft.
Three of those four targets in the short area also came across the center of the field. That’s another element of Tyson’s game that made him a natural option for New Orleans, who has seen Shough excel in the middle of the field.
Tyson’s expanding role means a more focused one for fellow rookies Bryce Lance and Barion Brown, with Brown recently showing off his value as a field-stretching deep threat. It also frees big-bodied wideout Devaughn Vele to help more in protection needs, which can add a new wrinkle for the 6-foot-5 pass-catcher in check-and-release or chip-and-go looks.
As Tyson’s role grows, the Saints’ offense gets a chance to enjoy the ripple effects. This week’s game against Carolina provides the next step in his development and the much-needed next wave of change for the Saints’ offense.
