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Tre’Quan Smith and Boston Scott are a pair of New Orleans Saints rookies who are hoping to state their case as being worthy of some attention in their first NFL season, and during the team’s summer exhibition have both made positive impressions.

Especially in the eyes of one NFL scout, who says that the Saints have got a pair of players who they can develop for the long term at the wide receiver and running back positions, respectively.

“The Saints got two ‘keepers’ in WR Tre’Quan Smith and [halfback] Boston Scott,” an NFL scout said of the two Saints rookies, according to WWL Radio’s Michael Detillier. “You can find them on offense, the real tough part is finding them on defense. Saints got jackpot lucky with Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams last year. It’s usually year two for defensive players.”

Smith is looking at getting a hold on the No. 4 wide receiver position behind Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn, and slot receiver Cameron Meredith. He has featured prominently as the Saints embark on their exhibition season, in the opener coming down with a 25 yard catch and coming through with another long catch in their second preseason game, against the Cardinals. In both appearances, Smith has led the Saints in receiving.

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, according to Pro Football Focus. 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, a point of relative weakness among a bevy of strengths last season.

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.

Boston Scott grew up a New Orleans Saints fan near Baton Rouge, went on to play college ball at Louisiana Tech, and this year was a draft pick by his hometown team. Last Thursday, the running back made an impression on his coaches. Scott took a kickoff in the second half of their preseason opener and brought it back for a great return. Unfortunately, the return was called back after J.T. Gray was called for a holding penalty, but the return was still something to behold.

Against the Cardinals in the second game, Scott had three kickoffs for 87 yards with a long of 30 yards and he rushed six times for 28 yards, earning a compliment from head coach Sean Payton.

“He did a good job,” Payton said. “I thought he had some juice in the running game.”

Scott figures to get some attention this season after starting running back Mark Ingram was suspended for the first four games of the regular season, but the rookie has some serious competition in Jonathan Williams, one of the reserves who has been making a case for a roster spot himself this preseason.

In the meantime, it appears both these rookies are getting some attention from outside New Orleans.