Tre’Quan Smith had best game of any rookie WR in 2018

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As is the case of with many rookies, Tre’Quan Smith had his ups and downs last season.

The wide receiver came to the New Orleans Saints by way of their third round draft pick last spring, and over the course of the next several months went about making a case for himself.

He went on to catch 28 of his 44 targets (64 percent catch rate) for 427 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie, but also had a few key drops that put a damper on his outing.

But the former Central Florida product had at least one very intriguing game in 2018.

According to the calculations of Pro Football Focus, Smith had the best single game performance of any rookie wide receiver in the National Football League.

That showing came in the Saints’ Nov. 18 thrashing of the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Catching 10 of 13 targets (zero drops) for 157 yards and touchdown, Smith had himself a career day against Philly in the Mercedes Benz Superdome in Week 11,” PFF noted.

“Eight of his 10 receptions went for either a first down or touchdown, and he caught all four of his contested targets on the day. He also forced two missed tackles and recorded five receptions of 15 plus yards.”

In addition to his game against the Eagles, Smith was also on the receiving end of history, when New Orleans hosted the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football on Oct. 8.

That’s when he caught the 62 yard touchdown that officially put Drew Brees in the NFL record books as the all time career leader in passing yardage.

Those are the kinds of highlights that Smith is looking to build on in his second season, and that the Saints want to see more of before they made a decision on his long term future.

One aspect of Smith’s game the team wants to see more of is his ability to catch deep passes.

In his final season at school, Smith nearly averaged 20 yards per catch, and his 70.8 percent catch rate on deep passes was the second best mark among all collegiate receivers.

Of his catches in 2017, 78 percent went for a first down, a major element the Saints could exploit as they look to remedy their third down offensive success. Smith caught seven of 10 passes on third down as a rookie, and two of his five receiving touchdowns came on third down, as well.

Smith ranks second in career 100 yard receiving games (11), third in career touchdown receptions (22), is tied for fifth in career receptions (168), eighth in yards per reception with 16.4, and third in career receiving yards (2,748) in Central Florida history, according to the program’s records.

The Saints would like to see him translate those numbers to the NFL.