Conneaut graduate Kyle Sheets signs NFL free agent deal with New Orleans Saints

Conneaut graduate Kyle Sheets will get his chance at the NFL with the New Orleans Saints.

The Slippery Rock All-American wide receiver wasn't drafted, but he signed a priority free agent deal with the Saints just minutes after the end of the draft.

"I'm so excited and looking forward to this opportunity," said Sheets shortly after getting the call from New Orleans. "I want to thank the Saints for giving me a chance and I want to thank everyone here at Slippery Rock for such an incredible experience. From our coaches to our faculty and staff and especially my teammates, I couldn't have made a better choice than coming to The Rock."

Sheets, who measures 6 feet, 4 inches and 220 pounds, was a multiposition star for Conneaut in high school as he spent time as both a quarterback and wide receiver. He also played basketball and excelled at both sports. Sheets had a 40-yard dash time of 4.52 seconds and a vertical jump of 37 inches during his pro day.

He had a slow start to his career with The Rock but had a big senior season with 76 catches for 1,186 yards and 17 touchdowns this past fall. He finished with 154 receptions for 2,440 yards and 29 touchdowns in 51 games for the nationally-ranked team.

Sheets is a two-time All-PSAC selection and finished third in career touchdown catches at Slippery Rock and fourth in career receiving yards.

Sheets will need to impress the Saints this summer as each NFL team signs a large number of undrafted free agents to go through summer practices and minicamps. The undrafted free agents aren't guaranteed anything except a chance to make a practice squad or 53-man roster if they impress enough during those summer camps.

More:Gannon men's basketball coach Jordan Fee leaving after one season

Contact Tom Reisenweber at treisenweber@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNreisenweber.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: NFL free agent signing New Orleans Saints Kyle Sheets Slippery Rock