The New Orleans Saints will be without star Chris Olave and leading receiver Rashid Shaheed against the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football, but it creates an opportunity for Bub Means.

Means – a 6-foot-4, 215-pound wide-leg from Lovejoy, Georgia – took advantage of his opportunity against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend and led the team with eight goals. He had five receptions for 45 yards and his first career touchdown against the Bucs.

With Olave and Shaheed out, Means could be in for a big match.

Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler and Means worked well as a rookie duo last weekend, and that rapport could be important against an admittedly stout Broncos defense.

Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Bub Means (0) November 4, 2023 David Haag/PSN

The Saints selected Means in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 170th overall, and it came as somewhat of a surprise.

“As far as the Saints go, no, I haven’t really had much contact with the Saints,” Means told Saints News Network after being selected. “It was a surprise when they called me. I got a call from New Orleans. I’m looking at the phone, man. That’s impossible. I got on the phone. They really are the saints.”

But despite the unexpected moment, Means couldn’t have been happier to have his name announced by the Saints.

“Man, that was a surreal moment,” Means told SNN. “I had to hold back my tears when I got the call. I can’t wait to come out and contribute to the team, to the win, to the culture. It was just a blessing. I can’t even explain it.”

Means hauled in 68 receptions for 1,122 yards (16.5 yards per reception) and eight touchdowns during his Pitt career, and he broke out as the Panthers’ leading receiver in 2023. Last season, he caught 41 balls for 721 yards and six touchdowns, but 650 yards and all six touchdowns came over the last eight games — an average of 81 receiving yards per game.

Means showed a lot of potential over time, serving as one of the best wide receivers in the ACC, and he banked on that showing to earn a spot in the NFL. He has potential, and now it’s about turning that potential into production.

“I just felt like I did everything I could in college,” Bub Means said at the Shrine Bowl. “And I’m ready to take the next step to the next level. I feel like the feedback I got was enough to get me out, that’s all. I’m just betting on myself.”

The Saints and Broncos kick off Thursday evening at 8:15 PM on Amazon Prime.