METAIRIE, La. -- Red zone monster Michael Thomas isn’t leading the New Orleans Saints in touchdown catches this season. Neither is the injury-hampered Willie Snead, dynamic speedster Ted Ginn Jr. nor breakout rookie dual threat Alvin Kamara.

Nope, it’s fourth-year receiver Brandon Coleman, whose giant, 6-foot-6, 225-pound frame is finally rising onto the radar.

“It’s a natural growth process for me,” said Coleman, who was one of the Saints’ standout players in training camp and said this season has been a “carryover” from that.

“Like I said in training camp, ‘It’s time,’” Coleman said. “And I’m glad to see that it’s starting to unfold on Sundays.”

Coleman’s numbers don’t really jump off the page (12 catches, 191 yards, three touchdowns). But the former undrafted free agent from Rutgers is on pace for career highs in all three categories (32-509-8) after spending his first season on the practice squad and the past two as New Orleans’ fourth wideout.

Plus, he has emerged as perhaps the Saints’ best blocking receiver, which is keeping him on the field a lot on running downs. And Coleman has shown his versatility while spending a lot of time in the slot in Snead’s absence and being used heavily in the red zone.

“He’s one of my favorite teammates, B-Cole,” quarterback Drew Brees said. “Whatever you ask him to do, he’s ready to do to help the team. And week to week that changes. Some weeks it’s, ‘Hey, B-Cole, we’re gonna need you to block this guy like 40 times this game, can you do that for us?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘Hey, we need you to step in and run this series of routes or do this in the red zone or do this on third down.’

“The guy can do anything you ask him to do. And he does it willingly, and he’s tough and he’s smart. He knows each receiver position. We have a lot of experience together now, this is going on four years. ... When you have that much time together, that’s when you really develop a rapport. And there’s things that we can reference too, together, from years past that might help us with a certain route or a certain concept that we’re installing week to week. So I have a ton of confidence in him.”

All three of Coleman’s touchdown catches have come inside the 22-yard line, including a 22-yarder in Week 7 at Green Bay.

“I understand that’s where I get most of my targets from,” Coleman said of the red zone. “And for me to capitalize on that, that’s only gonna build [Brees’] confidence in me even more.”

Coach Sean Payton agreed, saying, “There is a large catch radius with” Coleman and that he “has the features you look for” with his size and strong hands.

“I just thought this offseason, if you were looking at growth in players, he improved,” Payton said. “We all saw it, and with that came the confidence.”

It will be interesting to see whether Coleman’s role changes now that Snead is back to full participation in practice, or if Coleman’s emergence causes Snead to have a lesser role than he has had the past two seasons.

Thomas is entrenched as New Orleans’ No. 1 receiver. And Ginn’s role has continued to increase with each passing week, putting him on pace for career highs in catches and yards as well.

Snead, who admitted he wasn’t fully healthy when he returned for one catch and 11 yards in Week 6 before being inactive in Week 7, made it sound as though he expects to return in a supporting role when he said, “I’m learning everybody’s spots, so if I need to be in there, I can go.”

That could just be temporary, though, if Snead is able to get back into his old rhythm during the season's second half.

"I feel so much better this week," Snead said. "I'm running around, I'm moving faster, I'm getting stronger. ... I've dropped my weight a little bit [from 203 to 197] to get a little faster and move a little better. So I’m just doing everything I can.

“I think it's just a matter of [the hamstring] being in shape again. I think it’s actually getting in the game and starting to get those reps and playing at that pace,” Snead said. “My hamstring just pretty much wasn't ready at the Detroit game, and it caused me to sit out this last game, which was a good thing for me because it gave me time to get it stronger and get it more ready for this upcoming game.

“At the end of the day, Coach is making those [playing time] decisions, so I’m gonna roll with it. But I’m taking care of my end and doing what I have to do.”