Michael Thomas packed more value into his peak seasons than almost any receiver in NFL history β a comet career that burned brightest when it mattered most. His KV-H peak of 87 is historically rare; while longevity was not his calling card, the impact of his best seasons is undeniable.
Michael Thomas
3Γ Pro Bowl2Γ All-ProTop 2% all-time WRsAll-Time Greatπ #1 Wide Receiver Β· 2019π Clutch Β· +13% playoffsπ What If? Β· 3+ seasons leftπ Late Developer Β· 2019Two-Way Profile
Height6'3"
Weight212 lb
BornMar 3, 1993
Age33
CollegeOhio StateSee College Stats
ConferenceBig Ten
Rookie yr2016
Draft2016 Β· Rd 2, Pick 47 Β· NO
All-Time Rank & Honors
career ranks, postseason ranks, awards, title contextPostseason all-time ranks
3x
Pro Bowls
2x
All-Pro
Season honors and record seasons
A top 5% all-time wide receiver β a career that puts them among the greatest at their position in NFL history. Their excellent per-snap efficiency underscores the elite level they operated at.
Career Value Β· VORP
VORP 158 Β· #584 Β· High-ValueWorth 158 points of value above a freely-available replacement receiver β top 14% of all 4,642 ranked at the position. 6 of 6 seasons cleared the replacement bar, by +26.3 on average.See board β
Seasons above replacement
6 cleared
Beat replacement (adds to VORP) Below it β adds 0, never a debit
48
Replacement
the KC-H bar
β
6
Seasons over
cleared the bar
Γ
+26.3
Avg surplus
peak +48
6 seasons Γ ~26.3 surplus β VORP 158
Combined Season Grid
The full season-by-season grids, joined on one timeline. Every selected stat family stays visible at onceβno tab hopping.
4 grids split in one view
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Receiving | Rushing | Defense | Snap Counts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% | |||||
| 2016 | β | NO | 15 | β | 121 | 92 | 1,137 | 9 | 76.0% | 12.4 | 9.4 | β | 62 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | 867 | 79.2% | β | 0.0% | 5 | 4.3% |
| 2016 | β | DET | 3 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2017 | β | NO | 16 | β | 149 | 104 | 1,245 | 5 | 69.8% | 12.0 | 8.4 | β | 70 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | 851 | 82.1% | β | 0.0% | 6 | 3.0% |
| 2017 | β | NYJ | 4 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2018 | β | NO | 16 | β | 147 | 125 | 1,405 | 9 | 85.0% | 11.2 | 9.6 | β | 75 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | 929 | 88.5% | β | 0.0% | 6 | 3.8% |
| 2018 | β | MIN | 1 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2019 | β | NO | 16 | β | 185 | 149 | 1,725 | 9 | 80.5% | 11.6 | 9.3 | β | 91 | 1 | -9 | 0 | -9.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | 942 | 88.3% | β | 0.0% | 7 | 5.8% |
| 2020 | β | NO | 7 | β | 55 | 40 | 438 | 0 | 72.7% | 10.9 | 8.0 | β | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | 345 | 73.7% | β | 0.0% | β | 0.0% |
| 2022 | β | NO | 3 | β | 22 | 16 | 171 | 3 | 72.7% | 10.7 | 7.8 | β | 13 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | 136 | 68.3% | β | 0.0% | β | 0.0% |
| 2023 | β | NO | 10 | β | 64 | 39 | 448 | 1 | 60.9% | 11.5 | 7.0 | β | 21 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | 490 | 68.3% | β | 0.0% | β | 0.0% |
| 2023 | β | HOU | 1 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | β | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| Career | β | 92 | β | 743 | 565 | 6,569 | 36 | 76.0% | 11.6 | 8.8 | β | 357 | 2 | -8 | 0 | -4.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | 4,560 | 78.3% | β | 0.0% | 24 | 4.2% | |
Career EPA318.1Β·-2 rushing Β· 320 receivingΒ·45.4/season
Rushing
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 26 | NO | 16 | 14* | 1 | -9 | 0 | -9.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 25.3 |
| 2020 | 27 | NO | 7 | 5* | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4.4 |
| Career | 23 | 19* | 2 | -8 | 0 | -4.0 | β | 0 | β | 0 | 93.9 |
* GS not available from free sources β SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
Receiving
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 23 | NO | 15 | 12* | 121 | 92 | 1,137 | 9 | 76.0% | 12.4 | 9.4 | β | 62 |
| 2017 | 24 | NO | 16 | 13* | 149 | 104 | 1,245 | 5 | 69.8% | 12.0 | 8.4 | β | 70 |
| 2018 | 25 | NO | 16 | 14* | 147 | 125 | 1,405 | 9 | 85.0% | 11.2 | 9.6 | β | 75 |
| 2019 | 26 | NO | 16 | 14* | 185 | 149 | 1,725 | 9 | 80.5% | 11.6 | 9.3 | β | 91 |
| 2020 | 27 | NO | 7 | 5* | 55 | 40 | 438 | 0 | 72.7% | 10.9 | 8.0 | β | 25 |
| 2022 | 29 | NO | 3 | β | 22 | 16 | 171 | 3 | 72.7% | 10.7 | 7.8 | β | 13 |
| 2023 | 30 | NO | 10 | 7* | 64 | 39 | 448 | 1 | 60.9% | 11.5 | 7.0 | β | 21 |
| Career | 83 | 65* | 743 | 565 | 6,569 | 36 | 76.0% | 11.6 | 8.8 | β | 357 |
* GS not available from free sources β SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
Defense
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 23 | DET | 3 | 3* | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 24 | NYJ | 4 | 4* | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 25 | MIN | 1 | 1* | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 30 | HOU | 1 | 1* | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 9 | 9* | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | β | β | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 |
* GS not available from free sources β SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
Snap Counts
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 23 | NO | 15 | 12* | 867 | 79.2% | β | 0.0% | 5 | 4.3% |
| 2017 | 24 | NO | 16 | 13* | 851 | 82.1% | β | 0.0% | 6 | 3.0% |
| 2018 | 25 | NO | 16 | 14* | 929 | 88.5% | β | 0.0% | 6 | 3.8% |
| 2019 | 26 | NO | 16 | 14* | 942 | 88.3% | β | 0.0% | 7 | 5.8% |
| 2020 | 27 | NO | 7 | 5* | 345 | 73.7% | β | 0.0% | β | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 29 | NO | 3 | β | 136 | 68.3% | β | 0.0% | β | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 30 | NO | 10 | 7* | 490 | 68.3% | β | 0.0% | β | 0.0% |
| Career | 83 | 65* | 4,560 | β | β | β | 24 | β |
* GS not available from free sources β SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
Advanced (EPA)
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Pass EPA | Rush EPA | Rec EPA | Pass AirYd | Rec AirYd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 23 | β | β | 12* | β | β | 27.3 | 0 | 961 |
| 2017 | 24 | β | β | 13* | β | β | 62.1 | 0 | 1,418 |
| 2018 | 25 | β | β | 14* | β | β | 87.2 | 0 | 1,134 |
| 2019 | 26 | β | β | 14* | β | -1.7 | 99.0 | 0 | 1,497 |
| 2020 | 27 | β | β | 5* | β | -0.5 | 15.4 | 0 | 528 |
| 2022 | 29 | β | β | β | β | β | 16.7 | 0 | 237 |
| 2023 | 30 | β | β | 7* | β | β | 12.6 | 0 | 650 |
| Career | 65* | β | β | β | 0 | 6,425 |
* GS not available from free sources β SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
Advanced Rushing (2018+)
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | YBC | YBC/Att | YAC | YAC/Att | BrkTkl | Att/Br | 1D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 26 | NO | 16 | 14* | -9 | -9.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | β | 0 |
| 2020 | 27 | NO | 7 | 5* | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | β | 0 |
| Career | 23 | 19* | -9 | β | 1 | β | 0 | β | 0 |
* GS not available from free sources β SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
Advanced Receiving (2018+)
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | ADOT | YBC/R | YAC/R | BrkTkl | Drops | Drop% | 1D | TgtRate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 25 | NO | 16 | 14* | 7.7 | 7.1 | 4.1 | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 74 | 124.1 |
| 2019 | 26 | NO | 16 | 14* | 8.1 | 7.7 | 3.9 | 5 | 6 | 0.0 | 91 | 121.7 |
| 2020 | 27 | NO | 7 | 5* | 9.6 | 8.9 | 2.1 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 25 | 88.3 |
| 2022 | 29 | NO | 3 | β | 10.8 | 9.4 | 1.3 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 13 | 134.7 |
| 2023 | 30 | NO | 10 | 7* | 10.2 | 8.9 | 2.6 | 2 | 3 | 0.0 | 21 | 80.7 |
| Career | 52 | 40* | β | β | β | 14 | 14 | β | 224 | β |
* GS not available from free sources β SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
KV-H Anatomy
KV-H 82 Β· GreatA great career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 82 of 100, era-normalized against rec yds/g peers across 6 scored seasons.
78
Sustained
career value
Γ.6
87
Peak
best 3 seasons
Γ.4
Γ1
Longevity
career length
Blend 81.6 Γ longevity 1 = KV-H 82Β· confidence 98%
What builds the career mark of 78
On-field 60.4
Availability 17.6
On-field production Staying available
Season-by-season quality (era-relative rec yds/g)
2016bestavg 74elite 702023
All-Time Standing
how this career measures against the all-time greats at the position42
Depth
of 100
Reached 36% of the all-time Receptions leader β a rotational/depth all-time profile at the position.
36% of the all-time Receptions leader36
2 categories β₯25% of the all-time leader67
45.44 EPA/season over 7 seasons65
A 0β100 scale where 100 = matched the all-time leaderat this position. Built only from visible encyclopedia data β career production vs. the all-time leader, plus efficiency (EPA) and comparable-player confidence β so it's a transparent context score, not a subjective rating. Tiers: Elite β₯ 85 Β· Strong β₯ 65 Β· Solid β₯ 45 Β· Depth < 45. Comparable-player confidence: 91%.
Per-Snap Impact
Wide Receivers Β· proprietary Β· 2012+91
Elite
SIS
Yards/snap1.439Touch rate0.163EPA/snap0.07Snap share78.4%Off snaps4,560Elite Β· ConsistentCV 0.19
Production per snap β the box score normalized by opportunity. SIS is z-scored within wide receivers, shrinkage-regularized so small samples don't spike, over the NFL snap-count era (2012+).
Career Aging Trajectory
vs. position group average Β· KV-H basisAmber = this player (normalized to own peak). Indigo = average wide receivers aging curve. Group peak age: 25. Source: StatVault KV-H era (1999+).
Combine Β· 2016
Percentiles compare each raw measurement against position peers, the full combine pool, and the same draft class where enough samples exist.
4.57s
40-Yard
Low Β· 19th pct
Pos 19thAll 64thClass Pos 30thClass All 68th
35"
Vertical
Below avg Β· 40th pct
Pos 40thAll 64thClass Pos 63thClass All 73th
126"
Broad Jump
Strong Β· 77th pct
Pos 77thAll 88thClass Pos 77thClass All 91th
18 reps
Bench
Strong Β· 78th pct
Pos 78thAll 33thClass Pos 88thClass All 42th
6.80s
3-Cone
Strong Β· 76th pct
Pos 76thAll 91thClass Pos 72thClass All 93th
4.13s
Shuttle
Above avg Β· 72th pct
Pos 72thAll 84thClass Pos 83thClass All 89th
Playoff vs Regular Season
π Playoff Performer
Yards / Reception: 11.6 regular season β 13.2 playoffs (4 playoff seasons)
+13%
vs reg season
Postseason Career
7 playoff gamesReceiving
Tgt64Rec43Yds566TD4Ctch%67.2%Y/R13.2Y/Tgt8.81D27
Defense
Tkl4Solo4
Advanced (EPA)
Rec EPA16.6Rec AirYd617
College stats are not imported for this profile yet.
StatVault has the verified college attribution (Ohio State), but no parsed college box-score table is present in this profile artifact. The section stays here so every profile has a consistent college-stats landing point without fabricating unavailable rows.
Reference Graph
Career teammates and draft class, derived from year-by-year rosters β every name is linked.
Top Teammates
Cameron JordanDE7yAndrus PeatG7yDemario DavisOLB6yDavid OnyemataDT6yWil LutzK6yZach WoodLS6yAlvin KamaraRB6yTaysom HillTE6yMarshon LattimoreCB6yRyan RamczykOT6yP.J. WilliamsS6yDrew BreesQB5yThomas MorsteadP5yTerron ArmsteadOT5yCraig RobertsonLB5ySheldon RankinsDT5yJosh HillTE5yJ.T. GrayDB5yMark IngramRB4yVonn BellS4yTrey HendricksonDE4yAlex AnzaloneMLB4yCarl GrandersonDE4yDwayne WashingtonRB4y
2016 Draft ClassΒ· this player went #47
Franchise Succession
the room, before and afterMichael inherited the New Orleans Saints WR room from Willie Snead (2015β2017), and handed it to Ted Ginn (2017β2019).
Similar Players
Statistical + physical similarity across every player in the database, position-relevant (0β100%).
Movementderived from season history
- 2023final season
Last recorded season with NO
- 2016draft
Drafted by NO β Round 2, Pick 47
Athletic & Unique Profile
verified measurements and curated source-tagged facts6'3" / 212 lb
Frame
212 lb at 4.57s
Size-speed
35" vert / 126" broad
Explosion
18 reps
Bench power
Injury History
11 career games missed (Out)From nflverse weekly injury reports Β· coverage begins 2009.
| Season | Team | Games Out | Designations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | NO | 0 | W8QuestionableΒ· Illness |
| 2022 | NO | 5 | W1QuestionableΒ· HamstringW4OutΒ· FootW5OutΒ· FootW6OutΒ· FootW7OutΒ· FootW8OutΒ· Foot |
| 2020 | NO | 6 | W2OutΒ· AnkleW3OutΒ· AnkleW4OutΒ· AnkleW5QuestionableΒ· AnkleW7OutΒ· Ankle / HamstringW8OutΒ· Ankle / HamstringW9QuestionableΒ· Ankle / HamstringW15OutΒ· Ankle |
| 2016 | NO | 0 | W1QuestionableΒ· AnkleW14QuestionableΒ· Foot |
Knox
StatVault's proprietary player intelligence, informed by full career data. How Knox works β
Historical Knox Β· KV-H
Era-normalized career quality β z-scored against 6-season peers. See all β
82
peak 87
Season Report CardsΒ· KV-H era-normalized per season
B+2016
A2017
A2018
A+2019
C+2020
C+2023
Availability
Career durability β games played vs. scheduled, across 7 seasons.
73%
Era Translator
Rec Yds translated to the 2025NFL β each season's standing among its own-era peers, projected onto 2025's scoring environment. Modern-era (1999+) coverage.
| Season | Actual Rec Yds | Rec Yds/G | β 2025 Rec Yds | β 2025 /G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1,137 | 75.8 | 1,218+81 | 71.6 |
| 2017 | 1,245 | 77.8 | 1,269+24 | 74.7 |
| 2018 | 1,405 | 87.8 | 1,426+21 | 83.9 |
| 2019 | 1,725 | 107.8 | 1,839+114 | 108.2 |
| 2020 | 438 | 62.6 | 989+551 | 58.2 |
| 2023 | 448 | 44.8 | 714+266 | 42 |
Data: nflverse:players, nflverse:player_stats, nflverse:player_stats_def, nflverse:snap_counts, nflverse:combine, nflverse:draft_picks, nflverse:advanced-epa (CC-BY 4.0), nflverse:injuries Β· multi-source verified via the StatVault Oracle Β· updated 6/18/2026
Career Value Β· VORP
158 career value over replacement β #584 all-time of 4,642. 26.3/season above a replacement-level WR.
Career Profile
Draft OutcomeSteal β
Pick #47 (Rd 2) Β· NO Β· 2016 Β· +32.2 vs expected KV-H
82actual
49.8 expected Β· Ξ+32.2
Fan Rating
Rate Michael Thomas β All-Time
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