New Orleans Saints rookie WR Michael Thomas impressing
New Orleans Saints rookie Michael Thomas is impressing at his first NFL training camp. How big of an impact can he make in 2016?
The New Orleans Saints will experience a passing of the torch of one of the best pass catchers in franchise history, moving on from Marques Colston and ushering in the Michael Thomas era.
Thomas joins former first round pick Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead, and Brandon Coleman in a Saints wide receiver group that is looking like a sneaky good young group for Drew Brees to work with, but Thomas has stood out.
The second round pick out of Ohio State has apparently looked unguardable through the first week of camp, one beat reporter even calling him the best player at Saints camp ‘by far’…
“…even when he is covered, he has found ways to come up with a reception. He has easily been the best player in camp so far.”
There were some in the draft community that had the 6-3, 212 pound Thomas graded as the top wide receiver in this year’s class. The Saints took advantage of his lack of overall statistical production by scooping him up in the second round.
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Because of the offense at Ohio State, Thomas’ production wasn’t anything that was getting him in the conversation for the Biletnikoff Award. Last season, the junior caught 56 passes for 781 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging over 13 yards per grab.
Thomas is working hard this offseason to make himself available as soon as possible for Sean Payton and this coaching staff. It’s really tough for rookies to come straight into the NFL and make an impact, despite some of the success we’ve seen in recent years. Thomas is the kind of player that you can find creative ways to get the ball initially, but he wants to be the complete package.
In the red zone, I think this is a player that could wind up doing a lot of damage with his ability to overpower defensive backs and use a massive catch radius to come down with the ball. As he hones his skills as a route runner, the sky is the limit for this rookie.