METAIRIE, La. -- Seantavius Jones and Brandon Coleman each had one nifty highlight moment during Thursday’s organized team activities as the two young New Orleans Saints receivers continue to live up to their growing reputations.
Jones caught a pass from Drew Brees while being covered by top cornerback Keenan Lewis when he rotated in with the first-stringers during 11-on-11s. And Coleman made arguably the biggest play of the day on offense by shaking cornerback Kyle Wilson and breaking free for a long touchdown catch from backup QB Luke McCown.
Jones and Coleman, both undrafted in 2014, are two of the young risers hoping to fill the enormous void left by former Saints tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Kenny Stills, who were traded away this offseason.
“Man, light years ahead of where they were, even just at the end of last year,” Brees said of Jones and Coleman. “You can tell that it’s just been at the forefront of their mind throughout this whole offseason. And then look at what’s happened here, Kenny Stills gets traded, Jimmy is gone, just certain things where they see this opportunity that’s kind of out there for the taking.”
Jones and Coleman are still a bit low on the Saints’ pecking order -- behind more established receivers Marques Colston, Brandin Cooks and Nick Toon. But they both have a realistic shot at the No. 3 or 4 receiver jobs heading into this season.
Their potential is part of the reason why the Saints didn’t sign any high-priced veterans in free agency or draft any receivers.
And Brees repeatedly has described his excitement for the opportunity of young receivers such as Cooks, Toon, Jones, Coleman, Joe Morgan and tight end Josh Hill, among others, while putting a positive spin on the fallout of losing his top two receiving targets from last year.
“Honestly, I think you can’t dwell on who you don’t have,” Brees said after Thursday’s practice, during which veteran tight end Benjamin Watson emerged as his go-to guy for the day. “I love Ben Watson, I love Josh Hill, and I love the guys that we have. And I feel like those guys can make a big impact for us as well as the receivers and the running backs.
“I love Jimmy and I miss Jimmy, not only as a player but as a person. But life goes on, and I like the players that we have.”
Of the entire group, Cooks and newly signed running back C.J. Spiller probably have the best chance to emerge as “breakout” players and big-play threats. And Toon should not be forgotten since the fourth-year pro finally is getting an opportunity for regular snaps.
But Jones and Coleman are the most intriguing of the young hopefuls since they have more of the mystery factor.
They were impressive enough behind the scenes last year to earn promotions from the practice squad to the active roster in December (though they weren’t active for any games).
And coach Sean Payton consistently has praised them this offseason. Back in March, Payton mentioned them as two guys “that no one would even know right now that we think are going to be involved in this year’s plan.”
“They worked real hard this offseason, so it’s good to see them out there running around and making some plays,” Payton said Thursday. “They’re both dedicated, physical, young talented players that just need snaps.”
Coleman got more attention last summer because of his massive size (6-foot-6, 225 pounds) and because he was more of a known commodity as a college standout at Rutgers. Many analysts rated him as a potential mid-round draft pick when he left Rutgers after his junior year in 2014. ESPN/Scouts Inc. listed him as the top overall player who went undrafted.
Teams reportedly were concerned because of a knee injury Coleman suffered before his junior year (torn meniscus), which appeared to hamper him. Coleman had 43 catches for 718 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore, then 34 catches for 538 yards and four TDs as a junior.
With his size, Coleman could be a fantastic red-zone target for the Saints if he earns an active role on game days.
Jones, meanwhile, seems to be even higher on the Saints’ current depth chart. He was promoted two weeks before Coleman last year, and he rotated in ahead of him during Thursday’s practice. The 6-3, 200-pounder has a nice amount of size himself, and he appears very fluid.
Jones had 149 career receptions at Valdosta State for 2,374 yards with 33 touchdowns, including 26 TDs over his final two seasons.
Last preseason, Coleman had five catches for 50 yards, while Jones had three catches for 17 yards and a touchdown.
“I think they do a lot of things well. They’re both obviously big, physical guys, guys that can go up and get the football,” Brees said. “I think for them it’s just a mastery of the offense, a mastery of the route schemes and what we’re expecting at the quarterback position, the little nuances that come with each concept. Some of the adjustments that are made according to coverage, according to leverage, according to feel. But that’s just time on task with those guys.”
