I'll admit that I didn't pay too much attention to second-year receiver Willie Snead until he started killing it over the past two weeks at New Orleans Saints camp.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder snuck in under the radar, signing with the Saints' practice squad in December after having been released by both the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers as an undrafted rookie out of Ball State.

But now that I've taken a second glance at Snead's bio, I feel a bit foolish for overlooking him.

Up until now, Snead has dominated at every level. He's the second-leading receiver in Ball State history with 223 catches for 2,991 yards -- which he racked up in just three years. Before that, Snead was the Michigan high school player of the year in Division 5-6 as a dual-threat quarterback who ran the spread offense. Snead threw for more than 2,000 yards and ran for more than 1,000 as a senior.

That explains Snead's confidence when he kindly, but bluntly, shrugged off comparisons to longtime Saints receiver Lance Moore the other day.

"I want to be better than Lance, to be honest," Snead said. "Not to be cocky or anything, but that's what I strive for, to be better than the next man. Lance was a great receiver, and I want to fill those steps that he made in the Super Bowl and everything. That's what I'm striving for."

Saints coach Sean Payton rightfully pumped the brakes when someone threw out that same comparison to Moore. But Payton acknowledged that Snead is cut from the same mold.

Both were undrafted out of the M-d-American Conference -- coincidentally both starting out with the Browns. Moore was a tad shorter at 5-9, but their builds are similar. Neither has elite speed. But like Moore, Snead seems to run crisp, precise routes out of the slot. And like Moore, he seems to be catching almost every pass thrown his way.

"Man, Lance played a ton of good football for us. So the jury is still out and he still has a ways to go," Payton said. "But those are some things that you do see early on from him."

Snead -- whose full name is Willie Snead IV -- credits a lot of those traits to being a coach's son. His father, Willie Snead III, was his head coach in high school and currently coaches in South Florida. He also served as a college offensive coordinator at Hampton.

Father and son have both served as counselors at the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

"I wasn't a fast guy, I wasn't a 4.3 guy, so I had to make sure all my routes were precise, precision, cutting and stuff like that," said Snead, who said being a coach's son and a high school quarterback also helped him "understand defenses, concepts ... schemes and route combinations."

Saints quarterback Drew Brees and cornerback Keenan Lewis have also praised Snead, who is clearly turning heads this summer.

Lewis made an even stronger comparison, bringing up the name of all-time great NFL receiver Steve Smith, who will line up Thursday against the Saints for the Baltimore Ravens.

"That's a tough guy. I watched him last year -- a lot of heart, comes out and competes every day, that's what's expected of a younger guy to come out and compete every day," Lewis said, according to NewOrleansSaints.com. "He's tough. He reminds me of a guy like Steve Smith -- not really big, but plays big. He's got a lot of heart. No matter where the ball is he's going to catch it, get up and be ready to roll the next play. He's a great blocker as well."

The Saints had Snead fill in as a punt returner the other day when they were low because of injuries. That's not a specialty of his, but it's a sign that they're looking for ways to possibly get him on the field.

I'm not sure yet if I'll pencil in Snead on my next 53-man roster projection, since he's still stuck in a crowded position group that includes fellow second-year risers Brandon Coleman and Seantavius Jones.

But I'll have a close eye on Snead in Thursday's preseason opener, and I definitely won't sleep on him just because he snuck in under the radar. Lance Moore taught me that a decade ago.