Michael Thomas sighting! The NFL's all-time single-season leader in receptions with 149 (probably broken at some point with the new 17-game season) will be an afterthought for some, having not played in a game since 2020. But there are at least some signs that maybe, just maybe, he'll return to form this season.
Thomas posted a video to his Instagram feed that shows him running routes, apparently without limitations. It's a noteworthy development for a player who didn't step on the field last season, and played in only seven games in 2020. There are no "best shape of his life" stories yet, but if he is in fact finally healthy, there's considerable upside.
Forget his record-setting 2019 season, when Drew Brees was still putting up Pro Bowl numbers, and look instead at his abbreviated 2020 season. That year Brees wasn't quite Brees anymore, and Taysom Hill started a handful of games. Thomas in his seven healthy games caught 40 passes for 438 yards, with a trio of 8-catch games. Among wide receivers to play in that many games in either of the last two years, just 25 have averaged more receptions per game. If he's healthy, no reason he can't step back up among the league's more productive wideouts.
| WR CATCHES PER GAME, 2020-2021 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec/G |
| 2021 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 17 | 191 | 145 | 1947 | 13.4 | 16 | 8.5 |
| 2020 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 14 | 149 | 115 | 1374 | 12.0 | 18 | 8.2 |
| 2020 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 16 | 166 | 127 | 1535 | 12.1 | 8 | 7.9 |
| 2021 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 16 | 169 | 123 | 1553 | 12.6 | 11 | 7.7 |
| 2020 | DeAndre Hopkins, Ariz. | 16 | 160 | 115 | 1407 | 12.2 | 6 | 7.2 |
| 2020 | Keenan Allen, LAC | 14 | 147 | 100 | 992 | 9.9 | 8 | 7.1 |
| 2021 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 14 | 127 | 98 | 1103 | 11.3 | 5 | 7.0 |
| 2021 | Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 16 | 169 | 107 | 1161 | 10.9 | 8 | 6.7 |
| 2021 | Keenan Allen, LAC | 16 | 157 | 106 | 1138 | 10.7 | 6 | 6.6 |
| 2021 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 17 | 159 | 111 | 1239 | 11.2 | 9 | 6.5 |
| 2021 | Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 16 | 140 | 104 | 1015 | 9.8 | 6 | 6.5 |
| 2020 | Allen Robinson, Chi. | 16 | 151 | 102 | 1250 | 12.3 | 6 | 6.4 |
| 2021 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 17 | 167 | 108 | 1616 | 15.0 | 10 | 6.4 |
| 2020 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 16 | 132 | 100 | 1054 | 10.5 | 10 | 6.3 |
| 2020 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 15 | 124 | 92 | 974 | 10.6 | 3 | 6.1 |
| 2020 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 16 | 128 | 97 | 831 | 8.6 | 9 | 6.1 |
| 2021 | Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 17 | 164 | 103 | 1225 | 11.9 | 10 | 6.1 |
| 2021 | Hunter Renfrow, L.V. | 17 | 128 | 103 | 1038 | 10.1 | 9 | 6.1 |
| 2020 | Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 15 | 143 | 90 | 1374 | 15.3 | 9 | 6.0 |
| 2021 | Antonio Brown, T.B. | 7 | 62 | 42 | 545 | 13.0 | 4 | 6.0 |
| 2020 | Robby Anderson, Car. | 16 | 136 | 95 | 1096 | 11.5 | 3 | 5.9 |
| 2020 | Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 15 | 144 | 88 | 923 | 10.5 | 7 | 5.9 |
| 2020 | Terry McLaurin, Was. | 15 | 134 | 87 | 1118 | 12.9 | 4 | 5.8 |
| 2020 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 15 | 135 | 87 | 1276 | 14.7 | 15 | 5.8 |
| 2020 | Amari Cooper, Dall. | 16 | 130 | 92 | 1114 | 12.1 | 5 | 5.8 |
| 2020 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 7 | 55 | 40 | 438 | 11.0 | 0 | 5.7 |
| 2021 | Marquise Brown, Balt. | 16 | 146 | 91 | 1008 | 11.1 | 6 | 5.7 |
| 2020 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 9 | 68 | 51 | 771 | 15.1 | 3 | 5.7 |
| 2021 | Brandin Cooks, Hou. | 16 | 134 | 90 | 1037 | 11.5 | 6 | 5.6 |
| 2020 | Robert Woods, LAR | 16 | 129 | 90 | 936 | 10.4 | 6 | 5.6 |
| 2020 | Antonio Brown, T.B. | 8 | 62 | 45 | 483 | 10.7 | 4 | 5.6 |
| 2020 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 16 | 125 | 88 | 1400 | 15.9 | 7 | 5.5 |
| 2020 | Sterling Shepard, NYG | 12 | 90 | 66 | 656 | 9.9 | 3 | 5.5 |
| 2021 | DJ Moore, Car. | 17 | 163 | 93 | 1157 | 12.4 | 4 | 5.5 |
| 2020 | Cole Beasley, Buff. | 15 | 107 | 82 | 967 | 11.8 | 4 | 5.5 |
| 2020 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 12 | 84 | 65 | 840 | 12.9 | 7 | 5.4 |
| 2020 | Brandin Cooks, Hou. | 15 | 119 | 81 | 1150 | 14.2 | 6 | 5.4 |
| 2021 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 17 | 119 | 90 | 912 | 10.1 | 5 | 5.3 |
| 2021 | Tee Higgins, Cin. | 14 | 110 | 74 | 1091 | 14.7 | 6 | 5.3 |
| 2020 | Tyler Boyd, Cin. | 15 | 110 | 79 | 841 | 10.7 | 4 | 5.3 |
| 2020 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 16 | 129 | 83 | 1303 | 15.7 | 10 | 5.2 |
| 2021 | Michael Pittman, Ind. | 17 | 129 | 88 | 1082 | 12.3 | 6 | 5.2 |
| 2021 | Adam Thielen, Min. | 13 | 95 | 67 | 726 | 10.8 | 10 | 5.2 |
| 2021 | Sterling Shepard, NYG | 7 | 53 | 36 | 366 | 10.2 | 1 | 5.1 |
| 2020 | Curtis Samuel, Car. | 15 | 97 | 77 | 851 | 11.1 | 3 | 5.1 |
| 2021 | Cole Beasley, Buff. | 16 | 112 | 82 | 693 | 8.5 | 1 | 5.1 |
| 2020 | A.J. Brown, Ten. | 14 | 106 | 70 | 1075 | 15.4 | 11 | 5.0 |
| 2020 | Brandon Aiyuk, S.F. | 12 | 96 | 60 | 748 | 12.5 | 5 | 5.0 |
| 2021 | Robert Woods, LAR | 9 | 69 | 45 | 556 | 12.4 | 4 | 5.0 |
New Orleans has added a pair of notable wideouts this offseason -- first-rounder Chris Olave, and veteran Jarvis Landry. They're also unlikely to have the kind of offense they had with Brees on top of his game and Sean Payton calling the shots.
But Thomas produced with Hill at quarterback, including a pair of 9-reception games in 2020, and Winston is a better passer. There might be a learning curve for Olave, and Landry was potentially an insurance policy for Thomas (who should play over him in the slot).
I'm not sure what the right spot is for Thomas in drafts. In the magazine he's 35th in PPR. But if he's looking good in practices in August, he should move up some. Some rust to shake off and risk in selecting him, but reward, too.
--Andy Richardson