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New Orleans Saints’ Receiving Corps Ranked Among NFL’s Worst Ahead of 2025 Season by PFF

Jul 18, 2025 1:34 PM EDT

The New Orleans Saints’ wide receiver room has been given a bottom-10 ranking from Pro Football Focus.

PFF released their wide receiver room rankings ahead of the 2025 NFL season, ranking the Saints with the 23rd-ranked unit.

PFF’s list, published by Trevor Sikkema, notes Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed’s health concerns. Olave put up back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin his career, but suffered multiple head injuries in 2024 that limited the star wideout to 400 yards on the season.

Shaheed has been one of the most explosive receivers since entering the league and put up an impressive 719-yard season as the Saints’ WR2 in 2023. However, the 2022 undrafted free agent also suffered injuries last season, which limited him to six games.

PFF name-drops veteran wide out Brandin Cooks, who New Orleans signed on a two-year deal in the offseason. Sikkema refers to Cooks’ PFF receiving grades over the past two seasons, which haven’t topped 70.0. Despite the low grade, the former Saints first-round pick has been one of the most consistent receivers over his career, and still put up solid production in 2023. Cooks brought in 54 receptions during his first season with the Dallas Cowboys, accumulating 657 yards and 8 touchdowns.

The Saints’ receiving corps has a lot more potential than named. Tight end Juwan Johnson signed a three-year deal and has been promised a larger role in the offense by Head Coach Kellen Moore. Running back Alvin Kamara has been a top versatile back since entering the league, and has had one of his best receiving seasons over the last four seasons. Outside of wide receivers, Saints quarterbacks have reliable targets.

However, the New Orleans receiver room does have a lack of depth, and the Saints have acknowledged this. The team brought in standout wide receiver Gabe Davis for a visit and expressed their desire to draft a receiver in the draft, but never felt like that value was there.

New Orleans has one of the best young wide receivers in the league in Chris Olave, but behind the 2022 first-round pick, there remain depth concerns. Though Shaheed has been a top deep threat in the league, he needs to develop more as a true WR2. The way the wide receiver room in New Orleans comes together is all dependent on new head coach Kellen Moore’s offense.

Moore has a history of running one of the top passing offenses in the league while helping develop some of the league’s best wide receivers. From Ceedee Lamb to DeVonta Smith, Moore knows how to help his young wideouts get to the next level, but with a young quarterback slated to start for the Saints offense, Moore will have to draw up plays that get his best pass catchers involved.