The New Orleans Saints have neglected their depth chart at wide receiver for too long, and now they’re paying the price. Michael Thomas is on ice for the foreseeable future following ankle surgery. Tre’Quan Smith is the only player on the roster with real NFL experience behind him — everyone else is either a special teamer, fourth-string player, or both, unless they’re an unproven rookie.
Smith and 2021 seventh rounder Kawaan Baker are the only receivers the Saints have drafted since 2018. Their options now are to roll out Smith and some mix of backups and pray, with some smoke and mirrors thrown in to disguise the unit’s weaknesses. Maybe the Saints can take a flier on a veteran free agent, but their best avenue of improvement could be through a trade.
But unless you’re willing to give up a first round pick or two and make Allen Robinson or Davante Adams the NFL’s top-paid receiver, the message is the same: you aren’t going to replace Thomas, you’re just looking for more help. Here are five names to know:
