Saints Player Rankings: OPOY Michael Thomas comes in at No. 1

We’re finally going to announce what we knew all along — Saints’ wide receiver Michael Thomas is the best player on the team.

As we’ve counted the top 25 New Orleans Saints players, some of the league’s best players on both sides of the board have been ranked. Cam Jordan came in at No. 3; Drew Brees at No. 2. Now, we’ll talk about Michael Thomas, who was easily the top overall Saint.

Thomas had arguably the best receiving season in league history last year.

He broke Marvin Harrison‘s record for most receptions in a single season, totaling 149. He led the league in receptions for a second consecutive season. Thomas also led the league in receiving yards. He was just a few hundred away from 2,000, ending the season with 1,725.

Over 300 more than his total in 2018, Thomas continued to improve his play despite already securing a massive payday. He asked the Saints for nine figures and then went out and played like he was worth every penny of it.

Many may assume Thomas’ numbers were inflated because of his routes or his usage. They may have a point, but what great wide receiver wasn’t a major factor in their respective offense and targeted frequently.

Thomas was the team’s go-to target no matter who was under center as he maintained excellent chemistry even when it was Bridgewater who had to lead the team. That type of production is what puts Thomas in a category of his own.

A 6-foot-3, 210-pound target, Thomas is a unique mixture of speed and strength. Combine that with his insane footwork in the middle of the field, and it’s easy to understand why he can virtually get open every play.

Thomas will be counted to command even more attention in 2020. The Saints offense improved with Emmanuel Sanders which may take some of Thomas’ numbers away. But, his impact will certainly still be sky-high as the Saints look to make a run at the Super Bowl.

Thomas’ average rank was 1.1, coming atop the rankings for 11 of our 12 writers.