Saints 2021 roster breakdown, WRs: Who steps up with Michael Thomas out?

MICHAEL THOMAS*

AGE: 28
NUMBER: 13
COLLEGE: Ohio State
YEARS IN NFL: 5
2020 SEASON: 40 catches, 438 yards (7 games)

* = will start training camp on PUP list

NOTES: A year after setting a new NFL record for catches in a season (149), Thomas battled an ankle injury suffered in Week 1 and never really got right despite seeing action in seven regular season games and both playoff games. He went on IR after a Week 14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and headed into the offseason with all indications pointing to offseason surgery. After reportedly attempting to rehab without surgery Thomas had a procedure in June to repair ligaments in his ankle. With the expected recovery time likely to keep Thomas out of games until October, the Saints placed him on the PUP list. He can be activated before the 53-man roster deadline. If not Thomas would be out until at least Week 7.

The timeline for Thomas' return could be a critical development throughout training camp. But his absence will present a hurdle for the Saints and an opportunity to step into a larger role for the next few players on this list.

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TRE'QUAN SMITH

AGE: 25
NUMBER: 10
COLLEGE: Central Florida
YEARS IN NFL: 3
2020 SEASON: 34 catches, 448 yards, 4 TDs; postseason: 3 catches, 2 TDs

NOTES: Tre'Quan Smith logged career highs in catches and receiving yards in Year 3. The mystery is if the 25-year-old can avoid plaguing injuries and become a consistent week-to-week contributor in the final year of his rookie contract. It's worth mentioning that Smith is an excellent blocker from the WR position, impacting games even if he's not touching the ball. But 28 of Smith's 34 catches came in seven of his 13 games. His big-play moments and potential do spell optimism. Smith had a pair of touchdowns and a key first-down catch late against the Lions to help secure a gotta-have-it win. He also caught a pair of touchdowns, one on a trick play from Jameis Winston, that put New Orleans in prime position before late turnovers doomed the Saints in their playoff loss to the Bucs.

Can big-time Tre'Quan Smith be the every-week Tre'Quan Smith?

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MARQUEZ CALLAWAY

AGE: 23
NUMBER: 12 (but it looks like he'll be No. 1, soon)
COLLEGE: Tennessee
YEARS IN NFL: 1
2020 SEASON: 21 catches, 213 yards

NOTES: The final numbers for Marquez Callaway's rookie year don't exactly leap off the page, but they only tell part of the story of how impressive a year it was for another Saints UDFA find. The former Tennessee Vol stepped in when the Saints needed it most. He caught his first career pass in a win over the Lions and only climbed from there. Over the Saints' next two games, both with Thomas sidelined, Callaway caught 12 of 16 targets for 109 yards and served as a reliable short-yardage weapon. Need proof? Ten of Callaway's 21 catches went for first-downs. Callaway faded down the stretch as key players returned, but seems like the safest candidate to take another step forward this season.

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NEXT UP: WILD CARDS (2)

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DEONTE HARRIS

AGE: 23
NUMBER: 11
COLLEGE: Assumption
YEARS IN NFL: 2
2020 SEASON: 20 catches, 186 yards, TD; 16 kicks returned (27.3 yard per return average); 17 punts returned (12.2 avg.)

NOTES: Let's be clear out front: I don't put Deonte Harris in the "wild card" spot because he couldn't be a starting wideout. He can and has been, taking an impressive leap outside of his role as an All-Pro return man. Harris easily set a career high in receptions and yards in 2020, but only saw action in nine games due to injury. Might the Saints be more judicious on the number of hits taken by the small-frame receiver, especially early in the season, if it ensure he's available as a weapon in the return game more often? Harris is a weapon any way you choose to deploy him, the question is when and how the Saints choose to do it.

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CHRIS HOGAN

AGE: 32
NUMBER: TBD
COLLEGE: Monmouth
YEARS IN NFL: 9
2020 SEASON (JETS): 14 catches, 118 yards (5 games played)

NOTES: While the wide receiver room is dominated by young players, the Saints will bring in at least one veteran signee in Chris Hogan. The former Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers pass-catcher reportedly worked out for the team Monday morning and agreed to a deal later that day. Hogan spent last season with the New York Jets but went on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain. Hogan eventually decided to leave the NFL to pursue a lacrosse career, but put that on hold for a football return.

Hogan has been a reliable pass-catcher throughout his career, and still holds the Patriots record for receiving yards in a playoff game. New England receivers have had plenty of chances at that mark. If Hogan still has gas in the tank, he could be an interesting addition to watch.

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NEXT UP: POTENTIAL DEPTH PLAYERS (6)

LIL'JORDAN HUMPHREY

AGE: 23
NUMBER: 84
COLLEGE: Texas
YEARS IN NFL: 2
2020 SEASON: 3 catches, 46 yards, TD

NOTES: The next two wide receivers on this list could just as easily be in the tight end breakdown. Humphrey is one of the 6-foot-4 wideouts the Saints rolled out with several receivers on the shelf late in the season. Humphrey got the peak highlight with a pretty, back-shoulder touchdown reception late against the Chiefs (we'll forget about the interception earlier in the game).

The Saints aren't exactly strangers to attacking defenses with tall, strong receivers. The third-year player out of Texas could be the one to do it.

JUWAN JOHNSON

AGE: 24
NUMBER: 83
COLLEGE: Oregon
YEARS IN NFL: 1
2020 SEASON: 4 catches, 39 yards

NOTES: Johnson is yet 6-foot-4 wide receiver, though with a slighter frame and a bit more burst than Humphrey. It was Johnson that appeared more often throughout the 2020 season, logging 248 snaps total (beginning in Week 5), compared to 66 for Humphrey, all in Weeks 15-17.

I'll say it again: The Saints aren't exactly strangers to attacking defenses with tall, strong receivers. The second-year player out of Oregon could be the one to do it.

KAWAAN BAKER (rookie)

AGE: 22
NUMBER: 14
COLLEGE: South Alabama
DRAFTED: 7th round, No. 255 overall

NOTES: The Saints' lone draft selection at wide receiver in the 2021 draft was a relative unknown in Kawaan Baker. The former South Alabama Jaguar was highly productive in 10 games last season, hauling in 51 catches for 659 yards and eight touchdowns. He describes himself as strong at the point of the catch and sure-handed. Baker also has good size at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds. He'll be an interesting rookie to watch with a clear opportunity in front of him.

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JALEN MCCLESKY

AGE: 23
NUMBER: 17
COLLEGE: Tulane
YEARS IN NFL: 1
2020 SEASON: DNP

NOTES: The former Green Wave wide receiver is one of a few depth players that could vie for a roster spot. McCleskey participated in Atlanta Falcons training camp after going undrafted last season, but didn't record a stat in the regular season. McCleskey spent four seasons at Oklahoma State before transferring to Tulane in 2019, where he caught 37 passes for 581 yards and four touchdowns.

McCleskey also has Saints roots as the son of former NFL defensive back J.J. McCleskey.

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EASOP WINSTON

AGE: 24
NUMBER: 18
COLLEGE: Washington State
YEARS IN NFL: 1
2020 SEASON: DNP

NOTES: The former Washington State standout is the second player on this list that spent the 2020 season on an NFL roster, but didn't record a stat on the field. Aesop Winston, a man with a name that could match his quarterback's for some confusing play calls, will compete for a depth spot on the Saints' roster after a year with the Rams. Winston put up big numbers in the Pac-12 during two seasons with the Cougars, catching 137 passes for 1,624 yards and 19 touchdowns.

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JAKE LAMPMAN

AGE: 28
NUMBER: 15
COLLEGE: Ferris State
YEARS IN NFL: 2
2020 SEASON: DNP

NOTES: Jake Lampman might have sounded familiar even before he joined the Saints last season. That's because he began his career with New Orleans back in 2016, logging 89 snaps on special teams. Lampman spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the XFL's Tampa Bay Vipers before rejoining the Saints, but didn't record a snap in 2020.

As with most speedy positions, the final cuts will likely come down to special teams production. Those skills will be at even more of a premium due to the departure of longtime special teams ace Justin Hardee. If Lampman can demonstrate top abilities there, he could stick around.

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JEFF'S TAKE: It's no secret the Saints WR room has depth concerns, but the players that make up that depth behind Michael Thomas have upside that should secure a roster spot. The Saints only kept five WRs last season, but they kept six a year before. Three of those slots, barring injury, will almost certainly go to Smith, Harris and Callaway. Two questions to answer will be how many are kept and whether Thomas is kept on the active roster to start the season. Regardless, the Saints have a large number of players vying for a handful of roster spots in a season featuring high opportunity. The WR position could end up as the real competition to watch at camp.