Can Bub Means Emerge As A Saints Weapon?

New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver Bub Means is going to receive an opportunity to make an impact in the upcoming games. Leading Saints receiver Rashid Shaheed missed Monday's practice with a knee injury that was described as "concerning." Shaheed is undergoing further imaging to determine the severity.

Elsewhere, Chris Olave exited Sunday's defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a concussion. Olave missed Monday's walk-through practice. With the Saints playing against the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football, Means could be elevated into the starting lineup.

Means played a career-high 50 snaps in Week 6, accounting for 71% of all Saints offensive plays. His main competitor for playing time was Mason Tipton, who played far fewer snaps (29). It's also worth acknowledging that Shaheed played a full workload on Sunday, so his expected absence on Thursday creates even more upside for Means.

And even with Shaheed in the lineup, Means was Spencer Rattler’s go-to target. Means recorded a Saints-best five receptions for 45 receiving yards and a touchdown on a team-high (tied with Alvin Kamara) eight targets. With Rattler in line to make his second consecutive start against the Broncos on Thursday, it's safe to assume he'll continue targeting his most familiar wideout.

Means secured Rattler's first career touchdown, the Saints' lone passing score on Sunday afternoon. With the Saints trailing 17-13 midway through the second quarter, Rattler pump-faked the Buccaneers' defense on 1st-and-goal before targeting Means toward the sideline in the end zone.

Rattler showcased an ability to create off-script. On this rep, the rookie quarterback escapes a collapsing pocket by rolling to his left. He locates Means near the sideline for a chain-moving conversion.

Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak also flashed a willingness to use Means in multiple spots. The fifth-round rookie played 23 snaps as a boundary wideout and 14 in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus' charting. It indicates Means has the trust of the coaching staff.

Four of five Means' receptions on Sunday went for first-down conversions. His average depth of target (aDoT) was a healthy 9.0, and Rattler enjoyed a healthy quarterback rating of 117.2 when targeting him. Means averaged 1.32 yards per route run.

Means created an average of 2.77 yards of separation, according to Next Gen Stats. It's right around the league-average mark of 2.96 yards. That's considered open in the NFL, and Rattler displayed zero hesitation to target his first-year playmaker.

Cornerbacks were not playing particularly tight coverage on Means either. They respected his vertical skill set by offering him an average cushion of 5.5 yards per target. Means also accounted for 26.29% of New Orleans' targeted air yards (TAY%).

Means enjoyed a breakout performance on Sunday. Both Shaheed and Olave appear extremely unlikely to play versus the Broncos on Thursday. That should catapult Means into the WR1 role, and his most recent showing indicates he'll take full advantage of that opportunity.