Jordyn Tyson didn't present any surprises to the New Orleans Saints coaching staff Friday during the first day of rookie minicamp, and that was exactly what they hoped would happen.
The Saints' first-round draft pick (No. 8 overall) looked the part of a talented player who is expected to add pop to the receiver room.
"He did everything," receivers coach Keith Williams said. "He's what I thought he would look like. He was attentive, he's fast, he's athletic, he can catch. Today was a good day for him. He has good size, good speed, he's sudden, he's a 'hands' catcher, he's athletic, he's got good run-after-the-catch. He checks a lot of the boxes that you look for in a wideout. It was great to be able to have a chance to get him and get him here."
The rookies are three weeks behind the veterans in terms of offseason installation and will have another session of catch-up on Saturday, the final day of rookie minicamp.
"Just trying to take it all in right now," said Tyson, who caught 158 passes for 2,822 yards and 22 touchdowns at Arizona State.
But the reviews are that he's taking it in well, aided by the fact that he played multiple receiver positions in college. The versatility tracks to high school: As a 5-foot-4 sophomore, Tyson only could play in the slot, but an eight-inch growth spurt allowed him to move outside while retaining the knowledge and skill to play inside.