NFL Power Rankings: Top 10 wide receivers in today’s game

For all the jokes aimed at Thomas this offseason following his social media back and forth with DeVante Parker, there can be no doubt that the New Orleans Saints star is the class of the field when it comes to the wide receiver position in the NFL.

There are few areas in which Thomas does not excel. He is the definition of clutch and caught a staggering 81 percent of his passes in 2019, with his league-leading 149 receptions and 1,725 yards each career-highs for the former second-round pick as he accounted for 41.34 percent of the Saints’ Air Yards.

While not blessed with the elite quickness of some of his contemporaries, Thomas can engineer separation with his route-running and is proficient if perhaps unspectacular after the catch.

However, where Thomas really shines is at the catch point. His body control, concentration and intelligence have helped Thomas develop into a contested-catch phenom whose remarkable rapport with quarterback Drew Brees has been the foundation of the incredible consistency of the Saints’ passing game.

What has set Thomas apart in recent years is that he has continued to improve despite having little support from his fellow pass-catchers in New Orleans.

The lack of a legitimate No. 2 option for the Saints has long been a point of contention. Yet with New Orleans adding Emmanuel Sanders this offseason, Thomas may finally have the help he needs to take his already extraordinary game to even greater heights in 2020.