It's no secret the New Orleans Saints need help at wide receiver.

With star Michael Thomas out for the season due to an ankle injury, the team has struggled to find any kind of consistency amongst its pass catchers.

Jalen McCleskey may not fix the issue, but he's hoping for an opportunity to.

McCleskey, a native of Madisonville, was a standout wide receiver in high school for St. Paul's in Covington, Louisiana.

He's the son of former NFL cornerback JJ McCleskey, who played seven years in the NFL, spending time with the Saints (1993-96) and Arizona Cardinals (1996-99). JJ is currently the secondary coach at Tulane, where his son played wide receiver as a graduate transfer in 2019.

McCleskey caught 37 passes for 581 yards in his lone season with the Green Wave.

Prior to Tulane, he played at Oklahoma State, accumulating 167 catches for 1,865 yards and 17 touchdowns. His best statistical season in college was in 2016 when he finished with 73 receptions for 812 yards.

With his injury behind him, McCleskey has a good shot to make the Saints roster following the gruesome injury to Ty Montgomery (watch here), and the lack of overall production among the wide receiver unit.

He's also got elite speed.

At the 2020 virtual combine, McCleskey ran a 4.28 40-yard dash.

25 NFL Records Held By Saints WR Michael Thomas

10 Highest Paid NFL Coaches in 2021

Comfort Foods Down South

Get our free mobile app

 

More From 97.3 The Dawg