Saints have mastered how to use unique playmaker
There's one thing that will surely happen in 2023, the New Orleans Saints will be fun to watch on offense. New Orleans has one of the more unique weapons in the NFL at their disposal, Taysom Hill. It doesn't matter whether or not he's under center, catching passes, or running the football, Hill produces, period. […]
There's one thing that will surely happen in 2023, the New Orleans Saints will be fun to watch on offense.
New Orleans has one of the more unique weapons in the NFL at their disposal, Taysom Hill. It doesn't matter whether or not he's under center, catching passes, or running the football, Hill produces, period.
Having a weapon of this caliber is extremely rare, and the Saints have found a way to implement what he brings to the table into their offense. New Orleans has done such a good job of using Hill that he was named ninth-best tight end in the NFL by Pro Football Focus despite not being a full-time player at the position.
"You had to know he was coming on this list at some point. Hill is not a traditional tight end nor is he a modern-day one, as he occupies a unique role that only he can do and has provided tremendous value to the Saints, ranking ninth in PFF WAR the past two seasons. While Juwan Johnson had a breakout season in 2022 and they just signed Foster Moreau, Hill is the slotted “starter,” and his versatility gives the Saints a lot of options."-John Kosko, PFF
The way Hill has spread out his production is unreal. Although he's only attempted 287 passes he's completed 64.5% of them for 2,265 yards and 10 touchdowns with eight interceptions. Hill has tallied a record as a starter of 7-2.
Since 2018, Hill has rushed the ball the equivalent of a full season for a normal starter during his career, and the numbers are unreal. He's rushed for 1,758 yards and 23 touchdowns on 317 carries (5.5 yards per rush). Any runner with a season like that would be in the MVP conversation.
New quarterback Derek Carr will love throwing the ball to Hill. The former undrafted free agent has caught 71.7% of his targets (43 out of 60) for 465 yards and nine scores.
On Thanksgiving in 2019, Hill had a performance for the ages against the Atlanta Falcons. He blocked a punt, ran for a touchdown, and hauled in a pass for a score in a Saints' win. That's just not a regular occurrence in the NFL.
Simply put, just give Hill the ball and let him operate
