Tre'Quan Smith

Smith is on shaky ground heading into the final season of a two-year contract with the Saints. The 6-2 wideout began the 2022 campaign just outside New Orleans' starting rotation, but his playing time dwindled after he was overtaken by undrafted rookie Rashid Shaheed after Week 10. As a result, Smith finished with a career-low 387 offensive snaps, despite matching his career-high for games played with 15. After the team added numerous wide receivers via free agency and the NFL Draft in the offseason, Smith figures to have a marginal role in 2023 behind Chris Olave, Michael Thomas and Shaheed.

Smith signed a two-year deal with the Saints this offseason, but it's likely that he'll serve in a depth role behind a starting trio of Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave. The 26-year-old wideout recorded 32 catches for 377 yards and three touchdowns in the 11 games he played last season. In 2022, Smith should compete for snaps behind the team's top wideouts with the likes of Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harty.

The Saints were expected to be in the market for wide receivers after cutting Emmanuel Sanders in March. But outside of taking Kawaan Baker in the seventh round of this year's draft, they didn't add much competition for the No. 2 role behind Michael Thomas. That leaves Smith as the favorite for the job because he clearly operated as the third option in 2020 and had a two-touchdown playoff performance against Tampa Bay. While it's possible Marquez Callaway, Deonte Harris or another undrafted holdover impresses this summer, it would raise more than a few eyebrows if Smith isn't second fiddle to Thomas, who could miss the early part of the season after having ankle surgery in June. In addition to Thomas' injury rehab, the Saints' QB competition worked out in Smith's favor, with strong-armed Jameis Winston emerging victorious over dual-threat Taysom Hill. However, Winston's favorite target in the preseason was Callaway, while Smith missed most of August with an unspecified injury. He should still have a Week 1 role, but Smith's experience won't necessarily put him ahead of Marquez Callaway or young receivers given that the playing time has rarely led to production.

The speedy wideout has been a big-play threat throughout his two-year career, though he's seen a very low-usage role in that span, grabbing just 46 of 69 targets. Even with the low volume, Smith has scored five touchdowns both years, making him a true boom-or-bust fantasy option. Now entering his third season, he faces even more competition for targets in the form of new addition Emmanuel Sanders. Smith is likely to be fifth in the pecking order at best, behind Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Sanders and Jared Cook. The emergence of Taysom Hill as a legitimate situational option in the passing game only hurts Smith's chances of achieving fantasy relevance in 2020.

Smith's rookie year was a success - to the extent one can be successful on only 44 targets. He averaged 15.3 YPC and 9.7 YPT, marks that would put him among the league's top receivers had he qualified. He also scored five times and had a 40-yard catch. At 6-2, 210, and running a 4.49 40, Smith has good size and above-average speed for a bigger wideout. He's also athletic - 130-inch broad jump, 37.5-inch vertical - and has a wide catch radius, providing a nice advantage over smaller defensive backs. The problem for Smith is the Saints, once the most prolific passing team in the league, have morphed into a balanced offense. That means fewer passes to go around, and with target-hog Michael Thomas, newly acquired tight end Jared Cook and pass-catching tailback Alvin Kamara accounting for most of Drew Brees' volume, Smith is probably no better than the team's fourth option. And keep in mind veteran speedster Ted Ginn is slated to be the team's primary field stretcher. On the bright side, Year 2 is when receivers often break out, coach Sean Payton expressed confidence in Smith this offseason, and Drew Brees' presence should ensure Smith will get the most out of whatever opportunities he sees.

Drafted by the Saints in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Smith consistently excelled in his three years at Central Florida. While not necessarily an elite athlete, the 6-2 receiver has the size and speed to play on the outside. A "late bloomer" who didn't start playing football full time until he was a junior in high school, Smith will likely begin the year behind Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn and Cameron Meredith on the depth chart, but the rookie receiver will have every opportunity to compete for snaps in a high-yield Saints offense.