The best way Pat Narduzzi could describe what type of player he believed the New Orleans Saints took when they selected Pittsburgh receiver Bub Means was to describe what happened when something didn’t go to plan.
Means transferred to Pittsburgh from Louisiana Tech before the start of the 2022 season. After the Panthers went through their first scrimmage of the year, it dawned on Narduzzi that his new receiver hadn't caught a pass.
The way Narduzzi put it is this: Whether you’re coaching in college or the professional ranks, receiver rooms are difficult to manage. There is only one football to go around but many egos to manage. Players at that position affect the game with the ball in their hands, so Narduzzi started to worry when he realized Means never touched it.
“I called him, and he said, ‘Coach, I don’t care. I just want to play football, and I want to give you the best I got,’ ” Narduzzi recalled. “That’s who he is, and let me tell you, that’s one out of 20 in a receiver room. It really is.”
Means went on to catch plenty of passes at Pitt. As a senior, he led the team with 721 yards receiving, averaging 17.6 yards per reception. Means followed that up by showing he had professional traits at the NFL combine, running a 4.43-second 40-yard dash with a 39½-inch vertical at 212 pounds — validating his coveted place on Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List” the year before.
But, as far as Narduzzi is concerned, the personality traits were just as important as the physical ones when it comes to Means’ prospects as an NFL player.
“We know he can run, he can catch, he works real hard,” Narduzzi said. “But the thing I love about Bub is all the coaches are going to enjoy coaching him. I think we take that for granted — ‘Oh yeah, he’s going to be a great guy to coach.’ He’s one of those guys that is going to have a smile on his face every day.
“He’s a guy that is going to come to the facility and work and work and have fun.”
As is the case with many players taken on the third day of the NFL draft, Means faces an uphill climb to make the Saints’ 53-man roster out of training camp.
New Orleans has two established players at the position in Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, and 2023 sixth-round pick A.T. Perry showed glimpses of his potential late last season when he caught four touchdowns in his final eight games. The Saints also signed veterans Cedrick Wilson, Equanimeous St. Brown and Stanley Morgan.
The Saints also see the traits in Means that they traditionally covet — especially with Olave (6-0, 187) and Shaheed (6-0, 180) both having slighter physical frames. With those two at the top of the depth chart, coach Dennis Allen said the Saints were targeting a more solidly built pass-catcher in the draft.
“Kind of a big target, fast, highly competitive, pretty good production this year,” Allen said. “We’re looking for developmental qualities late in the draft, so we’re looking for size, we’re looking for speed, we’re looking for athleticism and we’re looking for intelligence. We felt like he checked most of those boxes.”
At Pittsburgh, Means was the team’s downfield threat. He notched a gain of 20 or more yards in 10 of his 12 games last season, and five of his six touchdowns went for 20 or more yards. His average depth of target, according to Pro Football Focus, was nearly 17 yards. His college football highlights are also filled with him making contested catches and shrugging off would-be tacklers for yards after the catch.
He understands this is now about making a roster and helping a pro team win. That may mean he finishes games without a pass being thrown his way, and he is OK with that.
His mantra going into his rookie season: “Be patient, and be ready to work.”
