The second round of the NFL draft had started to become the New Orleans Saints' nemesis. They saw two second-round picks stripped away by the NFL as part of the Bountygate punishments, one each in 2012 and 2013. They misfired on cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste in the second round in 2014. Then 2015 second-rounder Hau'oli Kikaha suffered a torn ACL this summer.
But the Saints appear to have hit on both of their 2016 second-rounders: the Ohio State duo of receiver Michael Thomas and safety Vonn Bell. Combined with first-round defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, this has the potential to become one of the strongest draft classes in the Sean Payton-Mickey Loomis era.
Grade: B-plus
Best rookie: Thomas has been one of the best rookies in the entire NFL. The big, sure-handed receiver leads the Saints with 69 catches and seven touchdowns and is second with 831 yards. He has quickly gained the trust of Saints quarterback Drew Brees in big moments. He would be a strong contender for the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award if not for the sensational Dallas Cowboys duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott.
Most improved rookie: It’s sort of cheating to put Rankins here, since he spent the first eight weeks of the season on injured reserve after suffering a broken fibula in training camp. But he deserves mention for how quickly he has made up for lost time: three sacks in six games played. The athletic 6-foot-2, 305-pounder has shown versatility and disruptive ability while playing tackle in four-man fronts and end in three-man fronts.
Most disappointing rookie: None, really. But since it’s only a five-man class, this is a tie between fourth-round defensive tackle David Onyemata and seventh-round running back Daniel Lasco. Both have been decent in small roles (Lasco almost exclusively on special teams), but neither has made a big impact.
The jury is still out on ... : Bell. He has been a full-time starter since Week 4, and a big reason why the Saints have featured so many three-safety packages in their improving defense. He has shown impressive athleticism and potential with three passes defended and a forced fumble. But he remains a work in progress and played a role in giving up a costly 66-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-10 play against the Detroit Lions in Week 13.
Undrafted rookie check-in: The Saints have six of them on their current roster, the most prominent being kicker Wil Lutz, who signed in Week 1 after he was cut by the Baltimore Ravens. Lutz has been a major work in progress himself (21-of-27 field goals made; one blocked field goal and one blocked extra point returned for game-changing scores). But those blocks weren’t necessarily Lutz's fault, and the Saints remain high on his potential. Undrafted cornerback Ken Crawley has also played a prominent role with five starts, while showcasing his own highs and lows.