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The New Orleans Saints selected UCF wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith in the third round of the NFL Draft. Smith was selected with the 91st overall selection.
.@Harp41 announces the #Saints selection of WR Tre'Quan Smith! #SaintsDraft
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 28, 2018
Continue to watch the #NFLDraft on NFL Network/ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/uLvMWSxY3T
With the 91st pick in the third round, the #Saints select Central Florida WR Tre'Quan Smith! #SaintsDraft pic.twitter.com/onwEFsiJ2I
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 28, 2018
The @Saints are getting one heckuva WR
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) April 28, 2018
Congrats to @TreQuanSmithUCF on going 91st overall in the 3rd round!#TreQuanSmith #BuiltByUCF pic.twitter.com/Dgj9vUQFP4
Smith heads down to Louisiana to play with Drew Brees and the vaunted Saints offense.
Tre'Quan Smith on playing with Drew Brees: If I could, I'd be out there tomorrow. I'm just willing to soak in the knowledge from a veteran, a great guy. ... I'm going to be right there next to him learning everything he's willing to teach me.
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) April 28, 2018
Here's the reaction from Saints GM Mickey Loomis following Smith's selection:
New Orleans Saints GM Mickey Loomis says receiver Tre'Quan Smith is a player the team wanted, and trading up was not in the cards after the first-round move to draft Marcus Davenport. #Saints #WhoDat #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/byevUiE8ED
— New Orleans Saints | NOLA.com (@SaintsNOW) April 28, 2018
The New Orleans Saints draft UCF WR Tre'Quan Smith, whose 86.3 overall grade ranked 10th among draft-eligible WRs in 2017 pic.twitter.com/9IsGDJjGVh
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) April 28, 2018
For Smith's pre-draft outlook, click here.
Smith is the second UCF Knight taken in this year's draft, and the ninth-ever UCF wideout taken. He is also the first UCF Knight ever to be drafted by the Saints.
Smith joins a Saints' receiving corps that had to be rebuilt after the glory days of their Super Bowl run. Three of the Saints' receivers are 25 years old, but Ted Ginn, Jr. is 33 and even though he's under contract through 2020, Smith's selection may make him expendable.
The Saints were a top-five passing team in 2017, but struggled on third downs at 37.6%, 19th in the NFL. Smith made his living on third down last year for UCF.
He is the first UCF wideout selected since Breshad Perriman in 2015.