Derick Hingle – USA Today Sports Images
The New Orleans Saints will be much better in the 2013 NFL season than they were in the 2012 season. That’s not due to a major influx of talent on the Saints or any can’t-miss draft picks, but it is more an assumption based off the simple fact that the offensively potent Saints will finally have their head coach, Sean Payton, back at the helm.
Many people expect Drew Brees to have a huge year with Payton holding the clipboard and having the headset back on this season, likely cutting down on an uncharacteristically high interception total last season. However, the more interesting storyline to watch for the Saints next season is to see what they are going to do at wide receiver.
There’s not really a question when it comes to the Saints’ top-two receivers. Both Marques Colston and Lance Moore have been with the New Orleans organization for a while now and we pretty much know what to expect from them at this point. What they won’t be able to do this season, though, is fill in the hole left by the departure of Devery Henderson, who was a big play receiver for them over the last few seasons.
One player to watch that the Saints will likely try in a Henderson-type role this season, though, is rookie Kenny Stills. In his career at Oklahoma, Stills caught a total of 204 passes and 24 of those catches resulted in touchdowns.
At 6’1” with a 4.32-second 40-yard dash time and a 33.5-inch vertical jump, it’s clear that Stills is an athlete with elite speed, which makes him a likely candidate to be targeted downfield a lot next season. Though someone could beat Stills out for the job, don’t be surprised if Stills is catching deep balls from Brees this season.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google+ and like his Facebook page.
