METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Perhaps in coming years, the Saints will reminisce about three pillars of a passing game that arrived in New Orleans over the span of two NFL drafts.
Decisions to bring in a highly rated receiver and tight end with two of their first three draft choices this week could be a considerable boon to the development of second-year Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, who applauded both picks in social media posts.
Shough's new receiver, Jordyn
Tyson of Arizona State, was the second receiver drafted overall when the Saints took him with the eighth pick of the first round. Oscar Delp, who played at Georgia, was selected 73rd overall.
Tyson, Delp and Shough, a 2025 second-rounder, comprise the highest-drafted offensive skill players since coach Kellen Moore — who designs and calls the offense — arrived in New Orleans in February 2025, shortly after winning a Super Bowl as a coordinator with Philadelphia.
“Certainly, we're trying to build a group that hopefully has some continuity and works together for a number of years,” Moore said. “There's a lot of time that needs to be invested in this, but we've got the right kind of guys to work together on that.”
The 6-foot-2 Tyson, whose brother, Jaylon, plays in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers, was prolific — when healthy — at Arizona State. In 33 games across four seasons — the first with Colorado — he caught 158 passes for 2,282 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Last season, the Saints completed 33 passes of 20 or more yards, which ranked second to last in the NFL, better than only the New York Jets. So, New Orleans had a glaring need for a player such as Tyson, who should complement four-year veteran receiver Chris Olave.
“It’s like a match made in heaven,” Tyson said. “And we're the Saints.”
Moore mentioned watching highlights of Tyson “making plays downfield,” adding, "The thing that I was really excited about, when we had a chance to evaluate, was the biggest games, he came up in those big-time moments.”
Delp did not have gaudy receiving stats at Georgia, but Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart and his offensive staff clearly trusted the tight end, playing him in 55 games over four seasons.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Delp caught 70 passes for 854 yards and nine TDs during his college career, but Moore said the quality of Delp’s touches in Georgia’s offense stood out.
“We recognize the athleticism that he provides. He does a great job out in space. He’s got some juice and some speed — vertical speed. He's a very willing, physical run player. That's an important aspect."
Moore added that Delp would be prepared to do some “dirty work” as a blocker on the perimeter — and Delp agreed.
“The most important thing you can do as a tight end is to be able to block,” Delp said. “I love being able to dominate another man, and in a successful offense, you have to have a tight end that can dominate the perimeter.”
The Saints didn't necessarily need a tight end. Veterans Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant — the latter acquired this offseason in free agency — are already on the roster. But Moore saw in Delp a good fit for his offense.
“For him to still be available for us in the third round was a nice luxury for us,” Moore said. “People know the way this league trending with the ability to play in multiple tight end sets and that’s a valuable asset.”
During the draft’s final rounds, the Saints traded for edge rusher Tyree Wilson, who has yet to fulfill the promise the Raiders thought he had when they drafted him seventh overall in 2023.
Wilson has just 12 sacks in three seasons, but the Saints only had to give up a fifth-round pick to get him and now will see if their staff and locker room can help him realize more of his potential.
The Saints' brass had to have a bit of faith in both Tyson's maturity and their own training staff in order to draft the star receiver.
Tyson had several injuries in college, including torn knee ligaments, a broken collarbone, and injuries to both hamstrings and hips.
The 21-year-old receiver insisted that he has learned from every injury setback and has a workout and nutrition plan aimed at maximizing his availability.
Moore sounded convinced.
“This guy’s a really tough football player,” Moore said. “He’s battled some things, and I think all that’s positive. He worked out through this whole process, kind of recovered and he’s in a great place.”
Having bolstered their defensive line with Georgia tackle Christen Miller in Friday’s second round, the Saints started the draft’s final day by taking two more offensive players in the fourth round: Auburn guard Jeremiah Wright and North Dakota receiver Bryce Lance. New Orleans rounded out its 2026 draft class with Ohio State safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. in the fifth round; LSU receiver Barion Brown in the sixth round and Iowa cornerback TJ Hall in the seventh round.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
