Three days before the 2026 NFL Draft, Deion Sanders called a former Colorado WR “different.” He was talking about Jordyn Tyson, who barely overlapped with him at Boulder. He never played a full season under the Buffs head coach, and still somehow left that kind of impression. Tyson’s indeed one of the best receiver prospects in this class, but the injury concern never left him. But that didn’t stop a franchise with a top-10 pick from taking a chance. 

Thursday night saw the New Orleans Saints select Jordyn Tyson as their No. 8 overall pick. With this pick, the Arizona State standout became the second WR off the board, following Ohio State’s Carnell Tate at No. 4 to the Tennessee Titans. It’s the franchise telling the league that it’s betting on upside despite widespread concern. 

Jordyn Tyson entered draft week as one of the most polarizing prospects on the board. No one questioned his talent, but it’s his durability that became his setback. He already has multiple injury issues, and a recent hamstring injury muted his pre-draft process. But the Saints’ decision says as much about the team as it does about the top-8 pick. 

This is a team coming off a 6-11 season that landed them last in the NFC South. The Saints were somehow stuck in between not being bad enough to tank cleanly, but not good enough to matter. That’s why they made this bold move with the 6’2, 200-pound Jordyn Tyson. He earned that draft spot at Arizona State. Tyson broke out with 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024, which gave teams a real reason to bet on him that high.

At Arizona State, Jordyn Tyson was a key piece of an offense that pushed its way into the CFP Peach Bowl in 2025. He got injured before the playoff run, but came back the following season and posted 711 yards and 8 scores in 61 catches. That shows he’s reliable when healthy. Still, the pick came with a question. Why get another receiver when you already have Chris Olave?

There’s no doubt Chris Olave is a true No. 1, but behind him, the Saints’ depth was thin. Devaughn Vele is a reliable wideout, but he’s not reliable enough to be an explosive WR2. The addition of Jordyn Tyson gives them an efficient plan. And more importantly, he fits because while Olave thrives against press-man coverage, he has solid zone coverage. That gives QB Tyler Shough a layered passing attack instead of a one-note offense. 

Approval rolled in almost instantly. Former Saints QB Chase Daniel said Jordyn Tyson has the “ability to just get open.” And that’s gold for QBs as Shough stamped his approval on X posting, “YESSIRRR lets work.” His top-ten selection sends a clear signal to the league, instantly raising the profile of an ASU program that hasn’t been a consistent NFL pipeline this decade.

That is what gives the apology story some weight. Tyson did not just move on from Colorado. He came back, owned the way he left, and showed Deion Sanders the growth for himself.

Jordyn Tyson’s apology stuck with Deion Sanders 

It’s easy to forget Jordyn Tyson’s path wasn’t clean. In Colorado, he played in nine games with 22 catches, 470 yards, and four touchdowns. But his 2022 season was cut short by a torn ACL. Then, when Deion Sanders arrived in Boulder and flipped the roster overnight, he became part of that mass exodus and hit the portal to Tempe. But the connection didn’t end there.

After the Sun Devils knocked off Colorado last season, Jordyn Tyson went looking for Deion Sanders and found him in the locker room. And then he apologized. The Buffs’ head coach later recounted the moment.

“Jordyn Tyson came in there to say, ‘Coach, I apologize,’” he said. “I said, ‘Young man, let me tell you something. I love you. I appreciate you. I pray to God that you’re a top-10 pick, top-five pick because you got it. You don’t have to apologize to me. You’re young, man. I was young. I was making some of the same mistakes when I was your age. I’m just thankful that you got on the right course.’”

Fast forward a few months, and here we are. Deion Sanders’ top-10 wish for Jordyn Tyson is fulfilled. The Saints drafted a bet on talent and on a player one Hall of Famer already labeled as “different,” not the injury-concern polarizing prospect. Now, Tyson has to prove Sanders was right all along, and that the Saints’ high-risk gamble was a stroke of genius.