Michael Thomas felt he was a first-round receiver.

That didn’t happen, but not many guys get the opportunity to catch passes from a future Hall of Famer. The New Orleans Saints picked Thomas at No. 47 overall, which means the former Buckeye will be catching passes from Drew Brees.

Thomas was pretty fired up about that idea.

The Saints were in need of a big, physical receiver after cutting ties with Marques Colston.

Thomas’ numbers at Ohio State might not match other first-round picks (1,602 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns), but he was the team’s leading receiver each of the last two seasons and he finished second in the B1G in touchdown catches.

On top of that, Thomas boosted his stock at the combine. His 4.57-second 40-yard dash was impressive for his 6-3, 220-pound frame.

As one of nine Buckeye underclassmen to declare early, Thomas was also one of three Buckeye receivers who could have their names called during the three-day stretch. He was the first Buckeye to go off the board on the second day and the sixth overall.

Thomas brings the Buckeyes one player closer to Ohio State one-upping their record of 14 players selected in the draft.