Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
After a surprising move on Wednesday, the New Orleans Saints’ wide receiver room has seen a second major shake up in a matter of weeks. First, at the trade deadline, Rashid Shaheed was sent to the Seattle Seahawks in return for fourth and fifth round selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. On Wednesday, veteran wideout Brandin Cooks, who was a possible trade asset at the deadline himself, mutually parted ways with the team.
Now, the team’s receiver room looks a lot different than it did to start the season. One of the key reasons for that is the team effectively trading in its calling card at the position, but also possibilities for the group’s future.
Saints’ Speed Suffers
At the beginning of the year, the team’s hallmark at wide receiver was speed. But now, two of the fastest players at the position are gone. Chris Olave and Mason Tipton are the last remaining speedy pass-catchers, though big-bodied wideout Devaughn Vele’s 4.47 speed isn’t anything to dismiss.
New Orleans is likely to continue to lean heavily on Olave’s contributions, much like in Week 10 at the Carolina Panthers. Tipton is sure to get some field-stretching opportunities as well. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough should have a good bit of chemistry built up already with Tipton and Vele from their time together on the scout teams in practice.
What Does the Roster Look Like?
The Saints’ active roster at wide receiver now has just four players: Olave, Vele, Tipton and Kevin Austin Jr. Austin was added to the active roster on Wednesday following Cooks’s release.
The team still has three wide receivers on the practice squad with Dante Pettis, veteran receiver Ronnie Bell and former Tulane wideout Jha’Quan Jackson. Each player also provides returner and special teams acumen and are likely to see game day elevations from the practice squad as the year progresses.
New Orleans also has wide receiver Trey Palmer on Injured Reserve, though his return is believed to be far along in the season timeline. Two players, Bub Means and Ja’Lynn Polk join him on the injured list, but neither are eligible to return this year.
The Draft Door is Open
With Shaheed and Cooks now gone and Olave being involved in extension talks, the Saints have a wide open opportunity to continue to invest at wide receiver in the upcoming offseason. The 2026 receiver draft class has a lot of strong talent at the top. Even if Olave and the Saints do reach an extension, finding a complementary piece to line up next to him should be a focus this offseason.
Bigger-bodied receivers like Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, Louisville’s Chris Bell, Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt could all be great options in the first two rounds of the draft.
