By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Former LSU wide receiver Barion Brown has been the talk of Saints training camp after only a handful of practices. Brown has flashed as a returner and pass catcher with the first and second team.
The Saints selected the 22-year-old 190th overall in the sixth round of April’s NFL Draft. New Orleans also welcomed first round pick Joydyn Tyson of Arizona State as the second receiver pick of the first round and eighth overall selection and fourth round pick Bryce Lance (136th overall) of North Dakota State in the draft class to add speed.
At the time, Brown projected to compete for a spot primarily as the Saints’ return specialist, but it has been his play at receiver that has turned heads. At practice Thursday, Brown hauled in a “game-winning” 30-yard touchdown pass during two-minute drills.
“I got the play call from coach, and honestly, I just knew I had a deep shot,” Brown said after practice. “I got to the line, licking my chops, hoping Spencer (Rattler) would give me a chance, and that’s what he did. When the ball’s in the air, I was just thinking, ‘Make a play.’ Trying to win the game.”
Brown was known for his blazing speed as a four-year Southeastern Conference receiver. In three years at Kentucky and one at LSU, Brown made 175 catches for 2,060 yards and 12 touchdowns for an average of 11.8 yards per catch. His collegiate numbers are not staggering by any means, but it seems much of his potential remained untapped.
“I think that’s just me,” he said of his comfort as a deep threat. “Any time the ball’s in the air, I’m looking to go get that thing.”
As a Tiger last season, Brown led the team with 53 receptions for 532 yards and a score. Saints head coach Kellen Moore praised his deep-ball skills despite his 5-foot-11, 177-pound frame.
“Ball tracking, being able to attack the football, I think he does a really good job of that,” Moore said. “He’s able to utilize the speed that he has, and I think that’s obviously an asset to him.”
Moore said what has really impressed him about Brown is his focus and urgency to be well prepared as a rookie.
“I think that’s the hardest part for these young guys,” Moore said. “The physical part, they’ve played football. There’s an acclamation part of that, but there’s so much more of a mental wear and tear on them with the preparation side. Sometimes that impacts their ability to go out there and perform. For Barion, he’s been really assignment sound. He’s been really detailed.”
Brown said that preparation and effort to stay level headed is part of who he is.
“I kind of already got it engraved in me, that next play mentality,” he said. “Don’t get too high, get too low on plays because the next one may be your best one.”
As for the return game, Brown has brought the same effort. He said he catches extra punts on the weekends and is working closely with the coaching staff to help the team any way he can. He’s seen the hype around his camp performance from fans but said he does not want to focus on that right now.
“I know what I can do, and I try not to let the outside noise get to me,” Brown said. “I just take every day day-by-day, and I’m just always looking to get better. That’s the return game, that’s receiver, that’s football. That’s just me being a person. I’m just always looking to get better.”
Brown was one of the most prolific kickoff returners college football has ever seen. He brought back six kickoffs for touchdowns in his career, one shy of the NCAA record. He led the SEC in yards per return as both a sophomore at Kentucky with 36 and as senior at LSU with 29.7. His 445 total kick return yards were also the most in the conference last season.
That asset gives Brown an edge over other receivers looking to make the 53-man roster. He said he has always been a receiver, though, and wants to make a difference in the offense. Saints No. 1 wideout Chris Olave has been a veteran mentor for him there. Brown said he is like a big brother.
“He wants the best for me, and any coaching points he got, I make sure I take it and try to use it,” he said. “I’m just happy that I got a good vet out there that’s willing to help me and give me some coaching tips.”
Olave was a first-round 2022 NFL Draft pick after racking up 176 catches for 2,711 yards and 35 touchdowns in four seasons at Ohio State. Since joining the NFL, he has posted three 1,000-yard seasons and just signed a $136 million contract extension. With a similar build (6-0, 187) to Brown, there are not many better teachers to learn from.
Brown will have a chance to make a big impression with the Saints’ coaching staff when the team hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars for a joint practice on Thursday and again when the teams square off in their preseason opener a week from Saturday at 3 p.m. on Aug. 15.
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