New Saints WR Jordyn Tyson Draws Interesting Player Comparison
Former Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson was the most intriguing prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tyson’s talent alone dictated that he should be the first receiver off the board in the first round, but his extensive injury history inserted question marks. Ultimately, former Ohio State standout Carnell Tate was the first receiver taken when the Tennessee Titans selected him fourth overall.
But Tyson didn’t have to wait much longer.
The New Orleans Saints selected Tyson eighth overall, proving that his glowingly reviewed private workout from April 17 salvaged his draft stock on April 23. That, or the Saints loved him all along.
“It took us about five seconds,” Saints head coach Kellen Moore told Rich Eisen earlier this week. “As soon as Jordyn Tyson was there, everyone looked around and said, ‘Alright.'”
Moore added, “Obviously, everyone is gonna put a lot of stock into the injuries that occurred in his college career, but we just really enjoyed his film.”
Mike Sando’s survey of NFL executives for The Athletic indicates that Moore isn’t the only one convinced Tyson’s injury woes are behind him.
“I was comparing [Tyson] to Christian Watson in Green Bay, who has had hamstring [injuries] early in his career,” an anonymous executive told Sando. “The kid is tough as nails. He’s a competitive kid, a rare athlete. When you think about who you want on your team, he is definitely a guy you want on your team. He will open up some things down the field.”
Tyson started his collegiate career at Colorado, where he suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL after nine games. That devastating knee injury led to a redshirt year after transferring to Arizona State in 2023. By 2024, Tyson showed off his NFL potential with 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns on 75 catches, but a broken collarbone kept him out of the Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff.
Last season, Tyson was again dominant in the nine games he played - 711 yards and eight touchdowns on 61 catches - but a nagging hamstring injury ruled him out of four games. His hamstring also hampered his draft process. He missed the scouting combine at the end of February and Arizona State’s pro day before holding his private workout.
As alluded to, Watson has been held back by various nagging injuries in his four seasons as a Packer, but when he’s on, he’s on. The Packers drafted Watson in the second round, which is a much different investment than New Orleans drafting Tyson eighth overall. That said, the Saints would absolutely take Watson 2.0 at this point in their rebuild.
And if Tyson can leave his injury concerns in college, he very well could be the final piece to put a sneaky fun Saints’ offense over the top into firmly scary territory.
Tyson joins Chris Olave in the Saints’ receiver room and figures to expedite second-year quarterback Tyler Shough in his development. Year-over-year momentum doesn’t exist in the NFL, but the 6-11 Saints did finish last season on a 4-1 run.
As the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles before arriving in New Orleans, Moore proved his knack for creating potent, quarterback-friendly offenses. Why can’t he do it again?
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 2:49 PM.