Allen: Thomas' return, Olave's addition like having 2 1st-round WR picks
New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen is excited about the outlook of his receiving corps with the return of Michael Thomas and addition of first-round pick Chris Olave.
"Getting Mike back, it's almost like we had two first-round draft choices at wide receiver," Allen said on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Thursday.
The Saints were left thin at receiver last season as Thomas missed the entire campaign due to a lingering ankle issue. No player on offense exceeded 700 receiving yards, and running back Alvin Kamara led the team in receptions with 47.
Allen noted there are still a "few hurdles" that injured members of the team must overcome, but he's optimistic Thomas will be ready for the 2022 season.
"That would be our hope," Allen said. "We feel good about what Mike's done in the rehab process."
New Orleans selected Olave at No. 11, and he was the third receiver off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Ohio State product spoke positively of Thomas during the draft.
"He's one of the best receivers in the league. To go in there and learn from him is going to be huge," Olave said last Thursday, according to Katherine Terrell of The Athletic. "We already have a little relationship already."
Think I’m a little late on this but in case folks haven’t seen, it looks like Michael Thomas and Chris Olave have already connected and started getting work in. pic.twitter.com/tkalHKZIK6
— Ross Jackson (@RossJacksonNOLA) May 3, 2022
Thomas won Offensive Player of the Year during his last full campaign in 2019 after recording a league-leading 149 receptions for 1,725 yards.