As he was diagnosed with yet another hamstring injury nearly three months ago, Jordyn Tyson tried to stay “level-headed.” This wasn't how the New Orleans Saints rookie wanted to begin his career. But at least he was comforted knowing his latest ailment was different from the same type of hamstring injury that bothered him in his final collegiate season and lingered in the lead-up to the NFL draft.

“It was a contact injury,” said Tyson, who got hurt in an Aug. 13 practice. “It’s not like I was running and I just pulled it. (The) guy pushed me very, very hard — a big dude at that — and kind of just went down on the sidelines. I feel like a lot of people with a hamstring would do the same thing, but it was cool.

“I've just been trying to be me throughout it all.”

After missing seven games, Tyson is finally nearing his debut — and can show, once and for all, that he’s still the same wide receiver the Saints found worth taking with the eighth overall pick last April. Saints coach Kellen Moore has not committed to Tyson playing Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, but the rookie returned to practice this week and has been a limited participant for the last two days.

In the process, Tyson said his hamstring now feels 100% — so much so that the wideout says he ran his fastest time since he began his rehab.

“I feel more explosive than I ever have, so I think I’m pretty good,” Tyson said. “I think I’m doing just fine.”

The Saints will see whether that explosiveness translates to the field, as it appeared to in training camp. Before getting hurt, Tyson was one of New Orleans’ top performers in camp — demonstrating a strong connection with quarterback Tyler Shough and opening up the middle of the field with his shifty speed.

But the Saints — including Shough — have been careful to set expectations for Tyson as he nears his return.

“He's a dawg," quarterback Tyler Shough said. "I think he brings this mentality, this elusiveness, this versatility to our offense that it's hard to replace. At the same time, there's a lot of unknown. We haven't had a lot of reps with him.

“It could be even greater than we could imagine. It could be not a significant role as we may think. And both are extremely OK. We have to do a better job as a whole offense."