Saints don’t have to look far for a potential Michael Thomas replacement

New Orleans Saints great, Michael Thomas, is currently searching for another team. After eight prolific seasons with the Saints, that era is now over, and both sides are moving on. While Thomas’ future is still uncertain, New Orleans is moving on with Chris Olave as their new No. 1 receiver, and Rashid Shaheed, Cedrick Wilson Jr., and A.T. Perry making up the rest of the room.

However, that’s not enough in today’s NFL. While Shaheed and Perry could both take their games to another level, New Orleans still needs to find another receiver with high upside. That receiver could be a veteran in free agency or a prospect in the draft.

Josh Edwards of CBS Sports thinks it will be a prospect in the draft, and he named the specific receiver in a recent 2024 mock draft. Edwards projected that New Orleans selects LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 14.

Saints select WR Brian Thomas Jr. in recent mock draft

Many draft analysts have New Orleans selecting one of the many talented offensive tackles in this class at 14, but Edwards thinks otherwise. He argues that the Saints will select Brian Thomas Jr. to fill the void left by Michael Thomas. Edwards called Thomas Jr. the “typical X receiver” that could free up Chris Olave to line up around the formation.

If Thomas is selected by New Orleans, he won’t have to go far. Born in Walker, Louisiana, Thomas has been thriving in the state all of his life. He’s coming off three years at LSU, dominating alongside Malik Nabers, who could be the first receiver off the board. In three years for the Tigers, Thomas played in 38 games, catching 127 passes for 1,897 yards and 24 touchdowns.

He elevated his already high profile at the NFL Combine, measuring in at 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, but running a 4.33 40-yard dash. His size, speed, and athleticism leave many people confident that he will thrive in the NFL. Will he do that in New Orleans?

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