10 NFL wide receivers who can lead the league in receiving

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 15: Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons celebrates after a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 15: Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons celebrates after a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 05: Michael Thomas #13 of the New Orleans Saints in action during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 05, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

New Orleans Saints. WR. Michael Thomas. 2. player. 15. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis

Thomas put up insane numbers in the Saints offense last year. 149 catches for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns was one of the great single-season campaigns in NFL history. If he repeats that effort in 2020, he should lead the NFL in receiving once again.

The smart bet is on Thomas to suffer from a slight, but noticeable decline. It’s difficult to put up back-to-back historic seasons no matter how talented you are. Thomas is still going to be great this season, but he might not be quite as special as he was a season ago.

Thomas also gets slightly dinged for relying on a 41-year-old quarterback to get him the ball where he needs it. Drew Brees did show some signs of age-related regression in 2019. New Orleans officials are hoping they don’t see another step back from their Hall of Fame quarterback in 2020.

The bottom line here is that Thomas is one of the best wide receivers in the game today. He’s going to put up big numbers for the Saints as long as he stays healthy. Putting him at No. 2 on this list just means he isn’t going to put up historic totals for the second consecutive season.