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Expectations are high for Jordyn Tyson. The former Arizona State wide receiver was picked by the New Orleans Saints at eighth overall in April's 2026 NFL Draft, and he's stepping into a well-defined role as the WR2 opposite Chris Olave. Both wideouts hope to give Tyler Shough a big boost and lift Kellen Moore's offense from one of the NFL's lowest-scoring outfits to a league leader.
What if Tyson's rookie-year stat line looks like this? Would catching 62 of 114 targets for 885 yards and 8 touchdowns move the needle? It wouldn't have beaten his predecessor as the 2025 eighth pick, Tetairoa McMillan (75 catches, 1,095 yards, 7 touchdowns), who won Offensive Rookie of the Year. But that's what the fourth overall pick in 2024, Marvin Harrison Jr., put up for the Arizona Cardinals. Then he only put up 608 yards in a dozen games last season, dealing with an injury and a quarterback change. Now Harrison's name is coming up in trade rumors as the Cardinals begin a painful rebuild without having won anything in the first place.
It's not like warning signs weren't there. Harrison only went 32-of-61 on contested catches in college, a rate of 52.5%. That number has fallen to 43.9% (25 catches on 57 contested targets) through two years in the NFL as Harrison has consistently struggled with competition at the catch point. He also dropped six passes (10 of them in college), and six balls thrown his way were intercepted (five at Ohio State). He's only forced four missed tackles while averaging 2.6 yards after the catch per reception. His college numbers after the catch: 15 missed tackles, 2.98 yards after the catch per reception. That big-play potential he flashed in college has not carried over.
How do Harrison's college numbers compare to Tyson? The Saints rookie worked with a slightly higher volume of targets (262 versus 248, a difference of 14 passes on five fewer games) but he had more drops (13 in college) and interceptions (seven), with an eerily similar rate of yards gained after the catch per reception (2.71). Tyson did force more missed tackles (13) but that didn't help him pull away consistently for big gains with the ball in his hands. What's most concerning is his win rate on contested targets: 52.4% (22 of 42). That's almost identical to what we saw from Harrison at the college level. Can Tyson avoid the same pitfalls that have frustrated Harrison?
That's a question the Saints must answer in the months ahead. They're obviously comfortable in thinking Tyson can win those battles or they wouldn't have drafted him where they did. The Cardinals felt the same way about Harrison a couple of years ago. If he can benefit from coverage going Olave's way and catchable balls thrown from Shough, plus routes and assignments drawn up to build on his strengths, maybe Tyson can experience smoother sailing than Harrison has had in Arizona. But at the end of the day, it's going to come down to whether he can win his matchups in one-on-one coverage and make a play with the ball in his hand and green grass in front of him.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints rookie Jordyn Tyson must win same battles as Marvin Harrison Jr
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What if Tyson's rookie-year stat line looks like this? Would catching 62 of 114 targets for 885 yards and 8 touchdowns move the needle? It wouldn't have beaten his predecessor as the 2025 eighth pick, Tetairoa McMillan (75 catches, 1,095 yards, 7 touchdowns), who won Offensive Rookie of the Year. But that's what the fourth overall pick in 2024, Marvin Harrison Jr., put up for the Arizona Cardinals. Then he only put up 608 yards in a dozen games last season, dealing with an injury and a quarterback change. Now Harrison's name is coming up in trade rumors as the Cardinals begin a painful rebuild without having won anything in the first place.
It's not like warning signs weren't there. Harrison only went 32-of-61 on contested catches in college, a rate of 52.5%. That number has fallen to 43.9% (25 catches on 57 contested targets) through two years in the NFL as Harrison has consistently struggled with competition at the catch point. He also dropped six passes (10 of them in college), and six balls thrown his way were intercepted (five at Ohio State). He's only forced four missed tackles while averaging 2.6 yards after the catch per reception. His college numbers after the catch: 15 missed tackles, 2.98 yards after the catch per reception. That big-play potential he flashed in college has not carried over.
How do Harrison's college numbers compare to Tyson? The Saints rookie worked with a slightly higher volume of targets (262 versus 248, a difference of 14 passes on five fewer games) but he had more drops (13 in college) and interceptions (seven), with an eerily similar rate of yards gained after the catch per reception (2.71). Tyson did force more missed tackles (13) but that didn't help him pull away consistently for big gains with the ball in his hands. What's most concerning is his win rate on contested targets: 52.4% (22 of 42). That's almost identical to what we saw from Harrison at the college level. Can Tyson avoid the same pitfalls that have frustrated Harrison?
That's a question the Saints must answer in the months ahead. They're obviously comfortable in thinking Tyson can win those battles or they wouldn't have drafted him where they did. The Cardinals felt the same way about Harrison a couple of years ago. If he can benefit from coverage going Olave's way and catchable balls thrown from Shough, plus routes and assignments drawn up to build on his strengths, maybe Tyson can experience smoother sailing than Harrison has had in Arizona. But at the end of the day, it's going to come down to whether he can win his matchups in one-on-one coverage and make a play with the ball in his hand and green grass in front of him.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints rookie Jordyn Tyson must win same battles as Marvin Harrison Jr
Continue reading...
