Of course, it’s important to temper expectations whenever going off of training camp performances, but I think we can all agree how exciting it’s been to see Barion Brown so far. Every day since pads were put on the players, Brown has been making play after play, and his ability to get separation is incredible.
When Brown was drafted by the Saints in the 6th round, his contribution on the roster was believed to be one on special teams. He is a dangerous returner that would be a massive upgrade for this special teams unit, but it seems like the Saints viewed him as a real contributor on offense.
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Yesterday, after yet another excellent performance in practice, Kellen Moore spoke on what the team saw from Brown in college and made sure to mention his impact on offense.
The Saints have had some tough decisions to make recently because rookies/young players have outperformed expectations. For 2026, it already seems like that’s going to be Brown. When he was drafted, he was put behind 4 other guys in the WR depth chart: Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson, Devaughn Vele, and Bryce Lance. Also, before Ja’Lynn Polk retired, it was believed that he was going to be WR4, so Brown would be all the way down at the last spot. But now, there’s no way that’s going to happen.
With the consistency he’s shown in practice and the major impact he’s making, there’s a good chance Brown begins the season in the 4th WR spot, and it may not take long for him to overtake Vele. Becoming the third WR is a bit more of a long shot without injuries happening, but now it’s not out of the question.
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Even if he stays in that fourth spot, Brown’s ability to make big plays could make him one of the most important players on offense. He may not be able to be that consistent nearly double-digit receiving yards per game guy, but I can see a more Rashid Shaheed role for him.
