New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is the choice for NFC South rookie of the year as voted on by the four reporters covering the division for ESPN.com.

Jenna Laine, Bucs reporter: Thomas had 1,137 receiving yards, third most in the NFC South behind only Julio Jones and Mike Evans and ninth in the NFL. His nine touchdown catches were tied for sixth in a league full of superb wideouts. That included a season-high 156 receiving yards against Atlanta.

Vaughn McClure, Falcons reporter: Deion Jones, Falcons. The second-round draft pick from LSU gets votes simply based on making the adjustment from part-time starter in college to full-time communicator as middle linebacker of the Falcons' defense. Jones showed tremendous growth through the season and developed a commanding voice while getting everyone aligned correctly. Everyone knew about his speed from day one. He put it on display during an epic moment in a Week 3 win against his hometown Saints, intercepting a tipped Drew Brees pass and returning it 90 yards for a touchdown. Jones had two pick-sixes this season and led the Falcons with 106 combined tackles. Sure, he's a bit undersized at 222 pounds and missed some key tackles at different points in the season, but Jones will only get better with time. And his speed is a nice luxury for a franchise that has been lacking in that area for a few years.

David Newton, Panthers reporter: Thomas is the easy choice for me after watching him catch all 10 of his targets against Carolina for 146 yards and a touchdown. The second-round pick out of Ohio State already has established himself as one of the premier receivers in the division with a team-high 92 catches. He finished strong with 10 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown against Atlanta at a time when many rookies hit the proverbial wall. That Thomas made this type of impact on a roster that includes Brandin Cooks is scary when you consider the future of this offense.

Mike Triplett, Saints reporter: A tough choice right out of the gates, since Falcons linebacker Deion Jones was so awesome for the division champs (including a 90-yard pick-six against Brees in Jones' hometown Superdome in Week 3). But I'll play homer here and go with Thomas since he definitely deserves the love. Thomas' 92 catches were the second-most in NFL history by a rookie receiver, behind only Anquan Boldin's 101 in 2003. The second-round pick from Ohio State also ranked sixth all time among NFL rookies with 1,137 receiving yards and tied for 15th with nine touchdown catches, according to ESPN Stats and Information. The 6-foot-3, 212-pounder provided the kind of physical and sure-handed presence the Saints had for a decade with Marques Colston before they released him last February. And Thomas' emergence as a go-to guy helped New Orleans maintain its status as the No. 1 total offense and No. 1 passing offense in the NFL in 2016.