What are the plans for Barion Brown? The former LSU Tiger and Kentucky Wildcat was a surprise sixth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2026 NFL Draft, but his unique set of skills mean he has plenty of options at the next level. Whether he focuses on playing receiver or returning punts and kickoffs, he’ll get real opportunities to make the team over the next few months. The only question is where he’ll spend most of his time. It was one of several questions head coach Kellen Moore answered during his press conference after Friday’s rookie minicamp practice.
“Yeah. Yeah yeah, no, he’s a receiver as well,” Moore clarified. “And I think that’s the important asset that we view this as, is we’re onboarding a guy who’s a returner and a receiver and it’s not going to be just a receiver and nothing else. And so, you know, his experience, his exposure we spent a lot of time with him. He came in on a 30 visit. Go through his experience, you know, going to Kentucky, going to LSU. Uh, he’s had a lot of success both in the return game and the receiver game and so excited to a him to that mix.”
The question came up for good reason — Brown led the FBS in yards per kick return in 2023, at Kentucky, and he led the SEC in the same stat in 2025 after transferring to LSU. All told, he scored six kick return touchdowns in four years and averaged 29.4 yards per kick return in his career. It’s a role in which he’s both comfortable and effective. But he can do more.
Brown only saw 32 carries in 50 games at the college level, but he was productive with 7.1 yards per attempt, and 11 of those rushes gained 10 or more yards and he converted a first down 13 times. There’s potential for him to catch defenses off balance with a jet sweep or delayed handoff. And as Moore said, Brown has real skills as a receiver. He totaled 175 catches for 2,060 yards and 12 touchdowns, largely producing against other future NFL players. He was often targeted around the line of scrimmage and asked to make a play with the ball in his hands, but as a senior LSU gave him just as many looks over the middle of the field. That’s Tyler Shough’s bread and butter.
If Brown can win the job as the team’s primary kick returner and chip in when asked to run routes on offense, he should make the squad when it comes down to roster cuts in September. The only roster locks are Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson, and Devaughn Vele. That leaves two, maybe three spots up for grabs with a couple of other spaces reserved on the practice squad. Guys like fourth-round pick Bryce Lance, veteran pickups Ja’Lynn Polk and Trey Palmer have a shot, but so do experienced backups like Mason Tipton and Bub Means. Brown needs to set himself apart from the group if he’s going to make the team.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints see role for former LSU star Barion Brown beyond special teams