Saints land pair of Buckeyes in round 2

Former Ohio State safety Vonn Bell will join college teammate Michael Thomas in New Orleans after the Saints grabbed both players in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday.
Former Ohio State safety Vonn Bell will join college teammate Michael Thomas in New Orleans after the Saints grabbed both players in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday.

METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints acquired a pair of Ohio State teammates -- receiver Michael Thomas and safety Vonn Bell -- in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday.

New Orleans used its initial second-round choice to draft the 6-3, 212-pound Thomas 47th overall. The Saints then traded their third- and fourth-round picks to New England so they could bring in Bell with the 61st pick.

Thomas caught 56 passes for 781 yards and 9 touchdowns last season for the Buckeyes. His selection comes a few months after the Saints released the franchise's all-time leading receiver, Marques Colston.

Thomas adds depth to receivers Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and Brandon Coleman, and he gives quarterback Drew Brees a tall target in the red zone with a 33-inch vertical leap. At Ohio State's pro day, Thomas ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds.

"There's definitely a lot of opportunity there," Thomas said of playing with New Orleans. "Marques Colston, when he was there, had a great career, and I felt ... like I could be that guy to come in and fill that role right away."

Colston "is a big, physical receiver, just like I would consider myself," Thomas said. "As a kid, I remember watching Monday Night Football, and they were making a ton of plays with Drew Brees. I mean, it's still shocking to me right now to be in this situation."

The 5-11, 199-pound Bell had eight interceptions and more than 150 tackles during the past two seasons combined. He was the second defensive player drafted by the Saints, along with Louisville defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins in Thursday night's first round.

The Saints picked Thomas even though they weren't desperate for help in the passing game. Brees led the NFL in passing last season with 4,870 yards and also racked up 32 touchdown tosses.

A 31st-ranked defense appeared to be the bigger problem for the 7-9 Saints in 2015, but the decision to release Colston, who played 10 season in New Orleans, left depth relatively thin at wide receiver.

Saints Coach Sean Payton never has been shy about his affinity for tall receivers in the offense he designed, which has been among the NFL's most prolific for the past decade.

Thomas, a nephew of former NFL receiver Keyshawn Johnson, struggled in his first season at Ohio State in 2013, but he blossomed in his second season, when he caught 54 passes for 799 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Payton was the offensive coordinator in Dallas a little more than a decade ago when Johnson was near the end of his career with the Cowboys.

Thomas called Johnson a "great influence," particularly as it pertains to his work ethic, and that he talks with his uncle about his game often.

Sports on 04/30/2016

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