New Orleans Saints

Saints draft receiver Thomas, safety Bell, in 2nd round

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:40 p.m. ET

foxsports

METAIRIE, La. (AP) -- 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 night.

New Orleans used its initial second-round choice to draft the 6-foot-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 overall pick.

Thomas caught 56 passes for 781 yards and nine 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 a receiver core currently led by Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and Brandon Coleman, and gives quarterback Drew Brees a tall target with a 33-inch vertical leap and well regarded as a red zone target for his ability to rise above defenders for contested throws. 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 they needed to fill that role 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 and I'm just ready to get to work, obviously."

Thomas was among Ohio State's top receivers the past two seasons, and like, Vonn, won a 2014 national title with the Buckeyes.

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 necessarily 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. Still the decision to release Colston, who played 10 season in New Orleans, left depth relatively thin at wide receiver.

Saints coach Sean Payton, meanwhile, has never been shy about his affinity for tall receivers in the offense he designed and 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 blossomed in his second season, when he caught 54 passes for 799 yards and nine TDs.

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.