The New Orleans Saints were one of the biggest surprises in the regular season. A resurgent running game has them as a favorite in the NFC, with Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram getting most of the credit in the backfield.

But there’s a weapon on the outside who has continued to improve: Michael Thomas. Thomas had a standout rookie season coming out of Ohio State in 2016, but it went unnoticed because the Saints finished 7-9.

He’s avoided a sophomore slump this season, and has played a big part in the team’s success with his continued production. After all, there is a reason his twitter handle is @cantguardmike.

He’s become one of the best receivers in the NFL in just two seasons. Part of that has been his hunger for success, and the other part is his natural talent.

He had a stellar rookie year, and it still wasn’t enough for him.

The Saints desperately needed to get Drew Brees a fresh weapon on the outside, and took Thomas in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. They struck gold, because Thomas played like a first-rounder.

Thomas put up 1,137 yards on 92 receptions with nine touchdowns on his way to an All-Rookie nod. Though the Saints finished below .500 for a third straight year, it was a promising sign that they had finally found Brees some fresh legs as he progressed further into the back nine of his career.

Despite his impressive debut, Thomas wanted to become better.

"Just finishing my routes, being a technician, being perfect depth, being in the right place at the right time," Thomas said of what he could improve on to The Advocate this past May. "Using my eyes better, visualizing the coverage pre-snap better."

He added, "I feel like I'm going to take my game to another level. When I watch film, even though I had, statistically a big year, I still have a lot to make up for."

He made up for his shortcomings on the field, and then some.

There’s a reason Thomas has emerged as an elite receiver, and No. 3 overall in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.

His 104 receptions in the 2017 season was a 12-reception improvement from his rookie season. It allowed him to set an NFL record with 196 receptions in his first two NFL seasons. Jarvis Landry previously held the record of 194 after his 2014 and 2015 seasons.

His 104 receptions were also a Saints record for catches in a single season, which was previously held by Jimmy Graham and his 99 in 2011.

One surprise with Thomas is how he’s about to do something that no Saints receiver has done in the Brees-Payton era: be a Pro Bowler.

That seems impossible. Brees has had five seasons of at least 5,000 yards since 2008, so you would imagine somewhere in there, the Saints would have at least one Pro Bowler. That speaks volumes to how good Brees is at distributing the ball, but it equally speaks as to how good Thomas is.

“No there’s not (anything flashy about Thomas’ game),” Brees told ESPN in mid-December. “But, man, there’s consistency and there’s dependability, and there’s a lot to be said for that.”

Later that month, Brees told The Advocate about how he admires Thomas’ willingness to learn.

“There’s not a guy with more thirst for knowledge than Mike Thomas,” quarterback Drew Brees said. “He wants the information. He wants to know exactly where to line up and what’s the depth and what’s the timing, the rhythm and then understanding and repping it. His work ethic is second to none. It starts there.”

It’s more impressive he’s doing this now, instead of Brees’ prime.

It sounds obvious. “Well yeah, if Brees was in his prime, he would be putting up bigger and better numbers!” There’s more to it, though.

The Saints don’t play the same type of pass-heavy offense that they once did when Brees was zipping the ball in every which way, and they don’t have to. Not when they have Ingram and Kamara in the backfield.

Ingram collected 1,124 rushing yards this season on 230 carries, getting the bulk of the load in the backfield. He also scored 12 touchdowns on the season. For Kamara, he had 728 yards on just 120 carries, and eight touchdowns of his own.

They’re also threats in the passing game. Combined, the two had 139 receptions for 1,242 yards and five touchdowns. That’s a lot of work that Thomas doesn’t see, but it also helps Thomas in a way, because defenses can never tell where the ball is going to go on any snap.

If he’s good in the playoffs, the Saints can go far.

The Saints are one of the most dangerous teams in the postseason, and Thomas has a big hand in that. Brees has all the postseason experience to carry his team. He’s won a Super Bowl, but just about everyone else around him — including Thomas — is new to this.

If Thomas is able to show up for Brees, it’s hard to pick against the Saints in the postseason. We know the running game will be there. The defense is improved. Because of those two things, Brees isn’t needed as much. But when they do need the veteran — and that time will likely come at some point in the postseason — Thomas is going to be the number he calls.

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