Devery Henderson

While the departure of Robert Meachem probably doesn’t affect the rest of the Saints receivers much, it could stand to benefit Henderson. Both players served as designated deep threats, and now Henderson could have the role mostly to himself. At 5-11, 200, Henderson’s not big, and he’s not particularly shifty, but he does possess very good straight-line speed. Henderson averaged 10.1 YPT and 15.7 YPC, numbers that could allow him to be useful were he to up his targets from 50 last year to 75 or 80. He’s never been much of a red-zone presence, so he’s unlikely to be a source of touchdowns, and he’s not a great route-runner, so he’s never going to rack up a high volume of receptions. Nonetheless, he’s the likely No. 3 wideout in the most prolific passing offense in league history, and that has to count for something. Just keep in mind that RB Darren Sproles, WR Marques Colston, and TE Jimmy Graham will also get their pieces of the passing-game pie.

In years past, Henderson was considered a legitimate, albeit inconsistent, deep threat capable of hauling a long touchdown any given Sunday. Last year, however, "That Guy" was simply inconsistent. Henderson posted his lowest yards per catch average (13.6) and scored only once despite appearing in 16 regular season games. With both Robert Meachem and Lance Moore likely to pass Henderson on the depth chart, one has to wonder where he fits in the passing game. Because of that, it is hard to recommend Henderson as a fantasy option given his penchant for dropped passes and general inconsistencies.

Once the Saints’ primary home run threat, Henderson now has company in Robert Meachem. And Marques Colston, the team’s top target, isn’t going anywhere, either. Nonetheless, Henderson did his usual downfield damage — 15.8 yards per catch, 9.7 yards per target, three catches of 40-plus — and managed to haul in 61 percent of the passes thrown is way. Henderson is rarely used in the red zone (just eight targets), and scored just two touchdowns as a result. At 5-11, 190, Henderson’s main assets are his blazing speed and acceleration. However, "That Guy," a nickname given to him for his penchant for drops, is not a great route runner and is not going to catch a lot of balls in traffic. Henderson’s good for a big play every few games, but unless Meachem and Colston were to go down, it’s hard to see him producing on a consistent basis. Henderson had hernia surgery in early May but is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

Henderson, nicknamed "That Guy" by Saints' fans for his numerous drops, is behind Marques Colston and Lance Moore in terms of value, but Henderson can get open deep, as his league-high 24.8 YPC on his 32 grabs in 2008 demonstrates. Plus, there’s something to be said about any pass-catcher with a chance to open the season as the No. 3 wideout option in an offense that features a QB like Drew Brees, who is coming off a 5,069-yard passing effort. However, while Henderson has shown the ability to catch the deep ball, his penchant for dropping balls and inconsistency in getting open in the short and intermediate passing game and make him a very risky fantasy player.

Henderson is an impressive downfield threat, as evidenced by his team-leading 20.5 yards per catch average last season. Henderson's explosiveness, however, is matched only by his inconsistency, as he dropped 10 passes in 2007 - third most in the league - despite catching only 20 balls all year. Henderson's big play ability makes him a perennial sleeper candidate, but with Robert Meachem fully healthy this year and Adrian Arrington impressing coaches in training camp, Henderson is unlikely to improve on last year's subpar production.

Granted it was a small sample size (54 targets), but Henderson’s per play efficiency in 2006 blew away that of any receiver in the last three years. Henderson averaged a whopping 23.3 yards per catch, and 13.8 yards per target! Consider that Reggie Wayne led the NFL among receivers with 100 targets or more with 9.6 yards per target. In other words, Henderson’s looks were worth nearly 1.5 times as much as Wayne’s. And Wayne was the best per play option among the league’s star receivers. Consider also that Henderson tied with Chad Johnson for the NFL lead with eight receptions of 40 or more yards, despite being 77th in targets. In fact, a full quarter of Henderson’s receptions went for 40-plus. At 5-11, 200, Henderson has decent size and tremendous downfield speed. But his route running still needs work, and he has below average hands – he dropped eight passes (tied for seventh) despite his infrequent use. Henderson was also rarely targeted in the red zone – just four looks and no scores all year. With the departure of Joe Horn, Henderson will be in the running for a starting job opposite Marcus Colston, but rookie Robert Meachem and Terrance Copper will also be in the mix.

Henderson caught 22 passes for 343 yards and three TDs in 2005, and the third-year wideout seems poised to improve on those numbers in 2006, especially now that he'll start opposite Joe Horn with Donte' Stallworth gone.

Has a chance to establish himself as the third wideout in 2005 if he can stay healthy and be consistent.

Although he's not as big target, Henderson's best asset is his speed. Choosen in the second round by the Saints, Henderson hopes to make a contribution right away as one of the WRs in the rotation. Realistically, he'll probably see time on special teams, at least for the first year anyways.