Former Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson was the New Orleans Saints’ most interesting first-round selection in years. After back-to-back drafts focused on anchoring the trenches, the Saints made a splash with the eighth overall pick, adding an elite playmaker to the offense.
Tyson is one of the favorites for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award, with FanDuel giving him +650 odds, tied for the third-highest alongside Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate. With such high expectations, what’s a realistic prediction for Tyson’s production for his rookie season?
The rookie wide receiver will see a big role in the Saints’ offense if he can stay healthy. New Orleans has already begun limiting Tyson during OTAs and the rookie minicamp to ramp him up for the season. While we will be taking into account the chances for injuries while predicting his stats, there’s no accurate way to account for injuries taking place.
Tyson’s playstyle is a great compliment to Chris Olave’s, so despite my prediction of Olave having a big season in 2026, I don’t believe Tyson will lose production to Olave’s potential standout season. Instead, I actually believe a big season for Olave can open up the field for Tyson.
The Saints won’t face many of the league’s top cornerbacks in 2026, but for the ones they do, they’ll likely line up across from Olave rather than the rookie. This should increase Tyson’s role in the offense, and he’ll likely have to step up early.
In 2025, the Saints lacked a receiver presence across from Olave, especially after the trade of Rashid Shaheed. While Devaughn Vele did step up, he was the only Saints receiver, rather than Olave, to record more than 200 receiving yards, logging 293 on the season. Tight end Juwan Johnson, however, did have a big role in the receiving game, logging 889 yards.
But that’s enough going over the path ahead; now it’s time to predict. Rather than having Tyson start slow and build on his season throughout the season, I think he’ll have a strong start to the season. The Detroit Lions’ defense has been poor over the past few seasons, and this would be the perfect introduction game for the rookie wideout. Then, facing the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders, Tyson could leave these three weeks with 200+ receiving yards.
Ultimately, I believe Tyson will end the season logging 74 receptions for 858 yards and 5 touchdowns. Tyson could definitely have a bigger season, especially with the establishment of Tyler Shough in his second year under Kellen Moore, but a concern for injuries and the unpredictability of the Saints’ offense in 2026 makes me hesitant to put him over the 1,000-yard mark.
