AT Perry's arrows are trending upward at just the right time for the New Orleans Saints. The second-year player turned heads in Saturday night's preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Perry returned and showed strong form in training camp practice on Sunday.
It's a string of strong performances for a player who struggled at the start of training camp. Perry wasn't even in the discussion for the No. 3 receiver spot, which is why he needed to perform well in the first preseason game of the year. And he did.
Dennis Allen's willingness to recognize Perry as a blocker may be the most positive thing he's said about Perry since the game. Blocking is important for receivers in space in Klint Kubiak's offensive system, and gaining credibility in that role could help Perry maintain his spot in the depth chart behind Chris Olave and Rashid Shahid.
Perry started the offseason strong, joining the offense for the final eight games of his rookie year after Michael Thomas was injured and making his debut with two touchdown catches in the season finale, and was expected to play a big role in the Saints' offense.
He offered the Saints some size they were missing (listed at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds), but those expectations were in question at the start of camp. After a strong play in his preseason debut and a follow-up practice the next day, he could be shaping up to be the A.T. Perry prospect we saw at the end of 2023.
