The New Orleans Saints have their franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future in Derek Carr, but it wouldn't mean anything without viable weapons for him to get the ball to.

New Orleans has added multiple running backs to help out Alvin Kamara, drafted wide receiver A.T. Perry, and signed tight end Foster Moreau. However, Rashid Shaheed, who went undrafted in 2022, showed some tremendous promise in his first year, despite his limited opportunities. 

Pro Football Focus thinks he made enough plays to garner a bigger role in the Saints' offense in 2023 and be an asset to Carr.

The Saints' receiving corps is an interesting one with the expected return of Michael Thomas. It might not leave that much room for a massively expanded role for second-year receiver Chris Olave. Without Thomas for most of last season, Olave was the team’s primary receiver, seeing 114 targets and 72 catches. Fellow rookie Rashid Shaheed was a much more unexpected success story, however, and could be the player in line for a much bigger role even with Thomas back and drawing his own target share.

Shaheed saw only 34 targets on the year, but 23 of them came in the final five games of the season and he generated a massive 2.59 yards per route run on the year. He also has the ability to carry the ball on gadget plays and generally brings to the table explosive plays that demand attention. –Sam Monson, PFF

Shaheed caught 28 of his 34 targets for 488 yards and two touchdowns and added another score on the ground. When Shaheed first touched the ball on an offensive play last year he took a handoff 44 yards for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. A week later, Shaheed caught his first pass that went for a 53-yard score against the Arizona Cardinals. Talk about welcome to the NFL.

At 6'0" with 4.3-4.4 speed, Shaheed has a shot to make a lot of plays downfield with a healthy Thomas and an emerging star in Olave getting tons of attention. He may not be as versatile as Taysom Hill, but with Shaheed's skills carrying the football, the Saints could create some unique packages to get him the ball.

Shaheed is certainly a guy to keep an eye on in terms of potential breakout stars in New Orleans this year. 

Saints’ underdog has changed the perception on him

The New Orleans Saints drafted wide receiver Chris Olave in 2022 to pair with Michael Thomas. However, another move they made at the position ended up being clutch. Rashid Shaheed went undrafted out of Weber State before the Saints signed him. At 6'0" with 4.3-4.4 speed, Shaheed certainly had some promise, but it was about […]

Feature image via Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports